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Employee Relations

2 Pennsylvania employers make Fortune ‘best’ list

02/24/2009

Two companies headquartered in Pennsylvania have made Fortune magazine’s 2009 “100 Best Companies to Work For” list. They are Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, headquartered in Allentown, and retailer Men’s Wearhouse, based in Pittston.

New economic stimulus law will find HR working closely with accounting

02/20/2009

The politics of the economic recovery and stimulus bill President Obama signed on Feb. 17 have been the talk of Washington for weeks. Now get ready to figure out what it really means for business. Tip for HR pros: Plan on spending lots of time in the accounting department.

Record number of employers dispute unemployment claims

02/19/2009

When you fire an employee for misconduct and he proceeds to file an unemployment compensation claim, how does your organization respond? In recent years, record numbers of U.S. employers have challenged those payouts. The rise in challenges can be pegged to more employers citing misconduct as the reason for terminations.

Motivating in a void: Prevent ‘survivor syndrome’ in yourself and your team

02/15/2009
Layoffs put retention on shaky ground at precisely the time that remaining employees’ loyalty is key to your organization’s success. Ignoring that “survivor syndrome” will only cripple morale further and generate more turnover. Communication is the key to overcoming it. Here’s how:

Florida companies make Fortune ‘best to work for’ list

02/12/2009

Three companies headquartered in Florida have made the 2009 Fortune magazine “100 Best Companies to Work For” list: Publix Super Markets, headquartered in Lakeland; Baptist Health South, of Coral Gables; and JM Family Enterprises, based in Deerfield Beach.

Cite specific reasons for disciplining every employee who breaks company rules

02/12/2009

When it comes to disciplining employees, one size almost never fits all. An individual approach—one that considers the very specific circumstances that led to the discipline—is usually best.

Show you are serious about workplace safety

02/12/2009

You can and should punish employees who refuse to play by company safety rules. You’ll probably win any workplace injury case if you can show that the accident would never have occurred if the employee had followed the rules.

Ohio EEO official’s motto: ‘Do as I say, not as I do’

02/12/2009

The Ohio Department of Transportation’s equal employment opportunity contracts coordinator, responsible for making sure agency vendors comply with state and federal anti-discrimination laws, has been punished for sending racist and sexist messages through the agency’s e-mail system.

Attorney General’s office settles sex harassment claims

02/12/2009

Two women who filed lawsuits alleging they were sexually harassed while working for former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann have settled their legal claims. Current Attorney General Richard Cordray announced that the agency had settled the women’s claims for $247,000 each, including attorneys’ fees.

What are our legal options? It turns out, an employee who is suing us was a thief!

02/12/2009

Q. Our company is being sued by an employee for discrimination. During the lawsuit proceedings, we discovered that he had been stealing from us. Do we have any recourse?