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Employee Relations

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? …

With security like this, who needs thieves?

10/22/2008

A crack trio of loss-prevention officers hired by Nordstrom in King of Prussia has been arrested for allegedly operating a theft ring. Rozita Davani, former loss-prevention manager, along with Marguerite Willis and Athina Theodoridis, former loss-prevention agents, allegedly began stealing from the store’s mailroom in May …

Perhaps councilman will next be kissing seat goodbye

10/22/2008

Terri Vaughn, finance director for the Yeadon Borough Council, has filed a sexual harassment and retaliation complaint with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission and the EEOC, alleging that council member Terry McGirth kissed her inappropriately on numerous occasions …

Act fast and fairly to investigate when employee complains of hostile work environment

10/21/2008

No matter how hard you work to make sure your workplace is a model of fairness and civility, you can’t rule out the possibility that an employee will come to HR with a claim that she’s being forced to work in a racially or sexually hostile environment. How you handle that complaint may make the difference between nipping an ugly problem in the bud and paying a huge jury award.

Keep detailed records on disciplinary process

10/21/2008

Far too often, careless employers lose lawsuits they should have won, especially when it comes to terminations. Here’s why: Some fired employees will sue for discrimination, and they have to show that you treated them differently because of some protected characteristic such as race, gender or age …

Video surveillance: If you can’t do it right, don’t do it

10/21/2008

Video surveillance can help catch employees who are abusing the system. For example, video of an employee cleaning the gutters while on FMLA leave may show he’s not sick. But before you conduct your own surveillance or hire someone to do so, here’s a simple tip …

Don’t fear investigation will mean defamation lawsuit

10/21/2008

When you conduct an internal investigation, other employees involved in the investigation are going to figure out what the allegations are. But you don’t have to worry about a defamation lawsuit following the investigation if you strive to keep the matter confidential …

Can I punish employees who miss work because they are witnesses in a trial?

10/21/2008

Q. Several employees have requested leave to be witnesses in an upcoming criminal trial. This is the busiest time of year for me. Can I discipline these employees in accordance with my absentee policy for missing work to attend this trial? If they know that’s what I plan to do, maybe they can avoid being witnesses.

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 …