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Employee Relations

We fix machines, why not staff? 5 ways to retool employees

07/24/2008
All companies have a large investment—time and money—in their human capital. A company would never hesitate to fix a machine, repair a plant or improve a work site, so why not treat human assets the same way? The key to correcting performance problems is a collaborative effort between a supervisor and an employee. It’s not the responsibility of the HR department …

Workplace bullying by managers: Unpleasant, but is it illegal?

07/24/2008
According a recent Zogby International survey, 37% of U.S. workers report that they’ve been bullied at work. Not surprisingly, they say, the overwhelming majority (72%) of bullies are bosses. Workplace bullying is harassment that’s not necessarily based on an employee’s protected characteristic, such as gender or race. But, unlike harassment based on a protected class, bullying may not be illegal …

The 5 rules for documenting HR decision-making

07/24/2008

The best way to prevent lawsuits is to carefully document every employment decision. HR professionals and supervisors should be able to show exactly when a decision was made, who made it and what the basis for the decision was …

Employees’ temporary disabilities don’t trigger ADA protections

07/24/2008
Sometimes injured employees need more time off than the 12 weeks allowed under the FMLA. In such cases, they often ask their employers to allow them to return to their jobs with reasonable accommodations under the ADA. That may be true if their conditions are permanent, but not if their conditions are merely temporary. Employers can deny requests without violating the ADA …

Employers pumping gas perks: 8 high-Octane tactics

07/24/2008
In a recent survey, nearly a third of HR professionals said they know at least one employee who quit in the past year because the high price of gas made the commute too expensive. Rather than watch those employees jump ship for jobs closer to home, some employers are actively addressing the driving dilemma …

Management Score Card: Rating Your Supervisor

07/22/2008
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Is that leave legit? You can discipline for FMLA ‘Vacation’

07/22/2008
Do you suspect that some of your employees take FMLA leave for something a little less serious than tending to the health care needs of themselves or their relatives? If so, here’s some good news: You can and should check up on suspicious FMLA usage …

Pre-Employment tests

07/22/2008
Q. Our company operates a distribution warehouse. Our application process used to be very simple—applicants would come into the warehouse and voice their interest. We would do a quick interview on the spot and usually hire the person. Since then our company has grown significantly and we want to make sure we are in compliance with current regulations. In order to work in the warehouse, employees must be able to lift at least 75 pounds. During an interview, can we ask what disabilities, if any, an applicant may have? We just want to make sure our employees are able to lift the boxes. …

15 Questions to Ask Employees in Their First 60 Days

07/21/2008
A good employee who seemed happy quit after just three months. His supervisor never saw it coming. What happened? That unexpected turnover might have been avoided if the boss had checked in to uncover any potential problems. Here are 15 questions supervisors or HR should ask all new employees in their first 60 days on the job.

Hold onto those notes! Even accidental destruction can mean trouble

07/21/2008
You know it’s crucial to document all disciplinary actions. No doubt, you’ve told managers and supervisors to keep all notes, memos and other paperwork. Those records could be invaluable later if you ever need to show that all your disciplinary decisions were based on good business judgment, performance and other legitimate and relevant reasons …