POLICIES / HANDBOOKS

At Akron's Summa Health, where there's smoke, there's no hire

03/09/2010

Akron-based Summa Health Systems has announced it will no longer hire smokers. Applicants who wish to work at one of Summa’s six hospitals must provide a urine specimen to prove they are nicotine-free. Current employees are not affected by the new policy.

Are we allowed to prohibit moonlighting?

03/09/2010

Q. Is there any law against having a policy that prohibits my employees from working a second job?

Follow 4 keys to legally manage employee absenteeism

03/04/2010

The costs of employee absenteeism—reflected in lost production, overtime and temporary replacements for the absent worker—can add up quickly. What’s the best way to combat the problem? With a clear policy, careful documentation, consistent application of the policy and progressive discipline.

Cinderella! March Madness! The Big Dance! Bracketology!

03/02/2010

Once again it's time for "March Madness." If your workplace is like many, talk of NCAA tournament picks and the Final Four will be everywhere, as well as bets on the games. While office pools are a lot of fun, they also can present some risk for employers. Consider having a written policy regarding workplace gambling to prevent things from getting out of control.

Can we put attendance conditions on whether we will pay for paid holidays?

03/01/2010

Q. Our production manager heard that employers don’t have to pay holiday pay if an employee is absent the workday immediately before or after the paid holiday. Is this true?

Should you ban workers from forwarding e-mails to personal accounts?

02/23/2010

Of course you have an electronic communications policy governing how employees use e-mail and the web at work. But have you considered what can happen when employees forward e-mails from a company computer to their private, personal e-mail accounts? The risks: bad publicity, lawsuits and exposure of trade secrets.

How much should I worry about employees using social networking sites?

02/16/2010

Q. I heard that Facebook use is really picking up, but I don’t think most of our employees are that tech-savvy. Should I be concerned about my employees accessing social networking sites while at work?

Labor alert! The NLRA can apply to nonunion employers, too

02/16/2010

You’re probably familiar with the legislative fight brewing over the proposed Employee Free Choice Act. That debate has spotlighted a fact many employers don’t realize: Nonunion employers must comply with requirements of the National Labor Relations Act. To help you comply, here are the major traps to watch for.

May we conduct locker searches even if employees use personal locks?

02/12/2010

Q. Lately we have been concerned about workplace theft—both of our property and that of our employees. We would like to search our employees’ lockers, each of which is secured with a worker’s own lock. Is this legal? Do we need the employees’ consent?

Don't cry! Babies at work easier than you think

02/10/2010

Even as the economy forces some organizations to cut benefits, it’s prompting others to add one: allowing parents to bring their babies to work. In just two years, the number of organizations with a babies-at-work benefit has more than doubled to 130, says Carla Moquin, founder and president of the Parenting in the Workplace Institute. She advises managers to start small and to create a formal policy full of “safety valves.” Here are 10 keys to success:

Spring cleaning: Give employee handbook a thorough going-over

02/09/2010

Because employment laws and your business are in a constant state of flux, it’s critical to keep your personnel policies up-to-date. As spring approaches, one item on every HR professional’s spring cleaning list should be a review of the organization’s employee handbook. In light of recent legal changes, be sure your policies include these updates:

Is English-only OK? We can't understand what Hispanic workers are talking about

02/09/2010

Q. We have a number of Spanish-speaking employees. We can’t tell, but we suspect they sometimes make inappropriate comments in Spanish about our clients and other employees. Can we require these employees to speak only English when at work?

'Anonymous' harassment: How to respond when harasser is faceless and nameless

02/09/2010

In some cases, employees are harassed via scrawled words on a wall, voice mail messages or some other shadowy act. You may never be able to pinpoint the culprit, but you must still do something. Begin by opening an investigation, just as you would for any other complaint. Then remind all employees about your anti-harassment policies.

Follow 5 steps to make sure new GINA law doesn't trip you up

02/09/2010

The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 was enacted in response to concerns that insurers and employers could use results of genetic testing to discriminate against applicants and employees. Covered employers should consider updating their employment policies and practices to comply with GINA’s many technical requirements.

How can you rein in rogue 'early clockers'?

02/05/2010

Do you have employees who clock in before their shift starts, then stand around drinking coffee for a half-hour? How can you cut down on this “on-the-clock-but-standing-around” time? ...

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