Communication

New York increases layoff notice requirement to 90 days

11/07/2008

Gov. David Paterson has signed into law the State Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, which increases employers’ obligations to notify workers of upcoming layoffs. The new state law is tougher on employers than the federal WARN Act.

Communication Corner: 4 tips to help improve workplace communication

11/05/2008

A collection of tips, advice and insight to help you ratchet up your persuasive powers …

As economic route turns rough, beware these 4 RIF potholes

11/04/2008

Layoffs are in the news. With a recession looming, this necessary evil is on agendas throughout corporate America. A layoff—or RIF—is a tricky, painful process for management, those who lose their jobs and even employees who remain afterward. Here are four critical and often overlooked RIF potholes that can make the route more treacherous than it needs to be …

What if a disability accommodation might cause morale problems with other employees?

10/28/2008

Q. An employee whose doctor says she cannot stand for long periods of time recently requested an accommodation. The employee requested the opportunity to sit on a stool while she works. We are concerned that giving this employee a stool will prompt other employees to request seats of their own, even though they do not have the disability she does. Do we have to accommodate her request, knowing that it could lead to significant morale problems?

6 ways to lead your team to maximum productivity

10/23/2008

Login Email Address Password I forgot my password To continue reading this page, become an HR Specialist Premium Plus member today! Your subscription includes: Ask the Attorney: Answers to your HR legal questions Compliance Guidance: Access to 7,000 HR news articles, updated daily, sorted by state State-by-State: Summaries of HR laws in all 50 states […]

How can I ensure a safe work environment?

10/22/2008

Q. What are some proactive strategies employers can implement to promote a safe workplace? …

Nix the nicknames or ‘Grandma’ will get even

10/17/2008

Every workplace has managers who love to hand out nicknames to employees and co-workers. It’s all good fun until an employee in a protected class—age, sex, race, religion, disability, etc.—takes offense …

State workers get inside tips on dealing with economic crunch

10/14/2008

State employees recently got free advice on how to manage their personal finances from none other than Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink. She sponsored a series of “Lunch and Learn” seminars to help staffers cope with the tightening economy …

Are we allowed to do anything that limits political expression at work?

10/10/2008

Q. Some union employees are wearing buttons and T-shirts as well as posting signs advocating presidential candidates. At first it was not bothering anyone, but now it has gotten out of hand. Is there anything I can do to prevent employees from exhibiting their political views in the workplace? …

Bilingual employees invaluable to you? Don’t punish them for their special skills

10/06/2008

Texas has a large number of Spanish-speaking residents, and a workforce that can effectively communicate with those residents can be a prized commodity. But before you thrust additional work on Hispanic employees who can communicate with customers who don’t speak English well, consider the following case …