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Employee Relations

Progressive Discipline

01/18/2014

HR Law 101: The most reliable way to protect your organization from charges of wrongful discharge is to establish and enforce a system of progressive discipline. Make it clear to all your supervisors that they’re expected to abide by your policy …

Do annual reviews work? A case study, success story & interview

01/15/2014

When Suzanne Benoit, SPHR, joined Wright-Ryan Con­­struc­­tion as its HR director, she learned that the company had been using an annual performance review process that wasn’t yielding the results it wanted. She then created a new process designed to improve performance, accountability and employee engagement. Here’s a conversation we recently had about how that process worked and its results.

HR sleuth: How to conduct a workplace investigation

01/15/2014
Whether it is a small inquiry that might only involve a couple of questions, or a weighty investigation into serious allegations of misconduct, being deliberate and intentional about an investigation will create a more helpful and less disruptive process.

1 comment won’t make hostile environment

01/15/2014
Here’s some good news for HR managers handling sexual har­­assment complaints. As long as you act fast, investigate and use your best efforts to prevent a repeat performance, one sexually explicit comment isn’t grounds for a lawsuit.

5 key actions good employees take to create great work

01/15/2014

Truly great work produces an outcome that makes a difference. It’s work that moves results from good to great—for example, improving a process, saving a customer or increasing revenues. Truly great work is produced by people who routinely do the same five things, says David Sturt, executive vice president of O.C. Tanner.

ADA: Drug and Alcohol Addiction

01/10/2014

HR Law 101: The ADA requires employers to walk a fine line between enforcing reasonable workplace safety and behavioral rules and making accommodations for those who are addicted to drugs or alcohol. The law doesn’t protect current users of illegal (i.e., “street”) drugs, but it does protect alcoholics and those who’ve shaken their drug addiction sufficiently to no longer be classified as active illegal users …

Immediately investigate sex harassment claim

01/07/2014
When an employee tells a supervisor that she’s being sexually harassed, that’s a signal that action is required. Her complaint should immediately set into motion an in­­ves­­ti­­ga­­tion. Make sure your supervisors have strict instructions to contact HR right away.

Tuesday packs biggest productivity punch

01/07/2014
If work is getting done, it’s probably a Tuesday. By a wide margin, that’s our most productive day of the week, according to an Accountemps poll of HR managers.

Possible porn: Can we search computers?

01/03/2014
Q. An employee recently complained about re­ceiving inappropriate email messages and links to porno­graphic websites from some of her co-workers. We would like to review the messages to figure out exactly how large a problem we face. Can we do this?

Keep tabs on employees socializing at work

01/03/2014
Sometimes, employees’ social interactions cross the line from productive to disruptive. Before you punish friendly co-workers, consider quantifying their behavior. That makes it easier to defend against charges that you singled out some chatty co-workers for harsher treatment than others based on their protected status.