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Employee Relations

Quitting time? Performance improvement plan not enough to justify discrimination lawsuit

10/01/2009

Performance improvement plans (PIPs) are great tools to help underperforming employees come up to standards. But some employees think they can file a lawsuit anytime they are placed on a PIP or are justified in quitting. As the following case shows, that’s not necessarily true.

Updated web site helps bulletproof your accommodation practices

09/30/2009

The ADA requires employers to enter into an interactive process with disabled employees to find accommodations that allow them to perform the essential functions of their jobs. Recently, the federal government updated its Job Accommodation Network (JAN) web site, which employers can use to to find specific accommodation information.

So long, Brett: Ex-Jet Favre’s ROI among lowest for QBs

09/30/2009

Think your performance evaluations are tough? Try being an NFL quarterback. Bizjournals ranked all 36 NFL quarterbacks who threw at least 160 passes during the 2008 season to see who delivered the most bang for the buck. Last season’s New York Jets QB Brett Favre placed 34th out the 36 signal callers rated.

We’re small; do we need an employee handbook?

09/29/2009

Q. We are a small company and do not have an employee handbook. Are we required to have one?

Employee lawsuits set record! How to tame the outbreak

09/29/2009

If discrimination has always been a head-in-the-sand issue for you and your organization, it’s time to get serious about your policies and practices. Discrimination complaints of all types—race, sex, age, etc.—have skyrocketed in the past year as the economy has fallen. Here’s how to avoid becoming one of the EEOC’s targets.

Why managers play favorites—and how to spot it

09/29/2009

Do you "play favorites” with certain employees? Most managers would probably say “no,” but people often harbor unconscious perceptions that can influence day-to-day decision-making and job reviews of the employees they manage. Several factors unrelated to employee performance can impact evaluations conducted by managers.

Make sure HR reviews each firing in advance

09/28/2009

When it comes to termination, courts cut employers lots of slack—if employers can show they sincerely believed they were firing an employee for good reasons. You can show that good faith by having HR review all disciplinary actions, especially double-checking on termination decisions before they are finalized.

What’s Working: 8 unique employee benefits programs

09/28/2009

Here’s a collection of creative employee benefits programs, excerpted from our Compensation & Benefits newsletter: 1. Expectant and new moms get help from co-worker "buddies." 2. Shopping-spree contest helps boost sales, morale. 3. Cash advances help workers dress for success. 4. Employee committees choose company wellness programs. 5. Company pays employees to leave their cars at home. 6. Deployed workers get full pay, benefits and care packages. 7. Medical firm picks reality TV star as its "wellness ambassador." 8. British firm pays for "Botox leave."

No raise = no review; a losing strategy

09/25/2009

“We’ve put a freeze on pay raises, so why do we need to keep doing performance reviews?” The recession has led many employers to ask themselves that question. But dropping reviews can be a morale buster and liability magnet.

Check reason before approving post-complaint discipline

09/25/2009

Employees who complain about alleged discrimination by a supervisor can set up a retaliation claim if they are disciplined or otherwise punished shortly after complaining. Relying solely on the say-so of the boss the employee initially complained about may cause trouble if that supervisor’s reasons are flimsy.