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Employee Relations

After discrimination complaint, be sure to document any potential disciplinary moves

05/16/2008
State and federal laws protect employees who file discrimination complaints from retaliation for making those complaints. That’s why it’s a good idea to make sure you carefully document any disciplinary moves that occur after an employee has complained of discrimination …

The HR I.Q. Test: June ’08

05/15/2008
Test your knowledge of recent trends in employment law, comp & benefits and other HR issues with our monthly mini-quiz …

OK to fire and then investigate—But be consistent

05/14/2008
It’s legitimate to discipline or fire employees who behave badly. But employers that mandate suspension or termination for rule violations must apply the policy to everyone who violates the same rule. Then they should follow up with a prompt and thorough investigation into exactly what happened …

Settlement for profs who thought 100% was a passing grade

05/14/2008
Two Southern Illinois University at Carbondale professors who were threatened with punishment after they aced a mandatory online ethics test have received a settlement in a lawsuit they brought against the state. Why did the state want to punish them? They finished the 10-question exam too quickly …

If accommodation can’t enable essential functions, termination may be only option

05/14/2008
Being qualified for a job doesn’t mean the person can do it well. And the inability to really execute an essential job function can warrant dismissal, even if the employee claims a disability. Take, for example, a newly hired professor who turns out to have psychological problems that prevent her from teaching class …

Of MySpace & Money: Don’t try to muzzle millennials’ salary talk

05/13/2008

You’d never discuss how much money you make, right? Dude, that attitude is so 20th century! The 20-somethings you work with eagerly dish about salaries, bonuses and other work topics you might consider taboo. Managers tempted to forbid such talk? Don’t let them! Here’s why.

Be alert for retaliation after employee reports wrongdoing

05/13/2008
The Minnesota Whistleblower Act (MWA) is designed to protect Minnesota employees who are punished for reporting company practices they believe are illegal. It’s not HR’s job to determine whether anything illegal occurred. However, when an employee has blown the whistle on a company practice, HR must make sure any future discipline is warranted and not driven by an ulterior motive …

HR & the Slump: The 3 Big Trends Affecting Employee Relations

05/13/2008
While all economic cycles share certain features, they also have unique effects. What’s different for HR in the 2008 downturn versus the last one? Here are three distinctive characteristics of the current economic slump that are affecting your employees—and potentially reshaping your HR programs:

Handle disabled worker’s poor performance like any other

05/13/2008
Employees who have disabilities sometimes pose special challenges. Accommodating their work restrictions requires diligence and flexibility. That doesn’t mean, however, that you should ignore declining performance …

Investigating sexual harassment? Ask victim whether she’s told HR everything

05/12/2008
Sexual harassment investigations can be embarrassing for everyone, including the alleged victim. But in order to conduct a fair and impartial investigation, HR must know exactly what happened. You don’t want to get part of the story, only to find out later that there was more …