The continuing saga of the Jerry Sandusky case serves as a grave reminder. Employers that do not act the moment that troubling information arises will lose the ability to protect themselves against complaints and lawsuits later via the defense: “we had no idea that there was a problem.” There is evidence that as early as 1998, the Penn State police (not the town’s police dept) received a memo from a local p ...

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In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Caterpillar CEO Douglas Oberhelman says that Illinois didn't even make the first cut — a list of more than 20 states — in the company's continent-wide search for a new factory to manufacture small tractors and mini-excavators. The Peoria-based company, the state's largest manufacturing employer, announced in February it had chosen Athens, Ga., as the home for the ne ...

The Wilmette Bike Shop has been a staple on in the small community north of Chicago for 80 years! Click here to find out what makes them so unique... ...

Deals are popping up across the nation. In New York, a full medical checkup  sold for $69 in December on Groupon; below the regular price of $200. In Seattle, a flu shot was offered on AmazonLocal for $17, down from $35. In Chicago, LivingSocial sold a dental exam, cleaning, X-rays and teeth whitening trays for $99, a savings of $142. About 9 percent of all offers on daily deal websites in November were for ...

Sears Holdings Corp. rattled Illinois officials Tuesday when it announced, less than two weeks after getting state tax breaks worth $150 million, that it planned to close more than 100 Sears and Kmart stores. State Sen. Ira Silverstein, D-Chicago, said he was "shocked and disappointed." "We gave them a beautiful incentive package," Silverstein said. "They put a lot of pressure on us to do this package becau ...

While efforts to begin construction on a new health benefits exchange have stalled, the development of another kind of state exchange is moving forward.  The Illinois Office of Health Information Technology (IL OHIT) announced last month that it has officially selected a new vendor to begin building the state’s health information exchange (ILHIE) that will allow providers across the state to electronically ...

There are several things that employers can and should do in order to avoid negative publicity, and create hostile-free workplaces. Many articles have been written over the last several decades about this, but it is clear that not all employers heed the advice. Yet, it is easier than many people think. It takes a commitment to creating an environment where all employees are treated with respect and dignity; ...