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Employee Relations

When discrimination charges are possible, investigate thoroughly before firing

05/01/2008
When you fire an employee, you want the decision to stick. You certainly don’t want to use a flimsy reason for discharge and then find out later that other employees regularly ignore your rule. If the former employee is a member of a protected class, that’s a sure recipe for a discrimination lawsuit …

What to do when employee claims the 5th

05/01/2008
Q. We are a private corporation. Recently, we discovered some theft in our operation. We called an employee in for an investigatory interview. He claimed to have consulted with an attorney and refused to answer our questions on the grounds that he could not be forced to incriminate himself under the 5th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. What are our choices under such circumstances?…

Diverse workplace can raise reverse-Discrimination risk

05/01/2008
Not many employers discriminate against members of the majority, but that doesn’t mean it never happens. In fact, white employees do file reverse-discrimination lawsuits, claiming they have been singled out for poor treatment or harassment due to their race. Ironically, a work force that is more diverse may be at greater risk for such lawsuits …

Tell supervisors: No pregnancy comments allowed

05/01/2008
It seems simple enough: No one should make cracks or comments about an employee’s pregnancy. Still, supervisors and managers often say things they shouldn’t, which can come together to form the basis for a Pregnancy Discrimination Act lawsuit …

In discrimination cases, don’t bet on Round 1 knockout

05/01/2008
Discrimination cases typically have two stages. First, the employee must show that he is a member of a protected class, was qualified for the job he held, suffered an adverse employment action and a similarly situated person not in the same protected class was treated more favorably. Some federal trial judges recently construed the “similarly situated” standard very restrictively …

Should I stay or should I go?

05/01/2008
It seems employees don’t want teleworking bosses, according to an Office Team survey …

Insiders’ secrets for making the ‘Best companies’ lists

05/01/2008
Winning a spot on any of the dozens of coveted “best companies” lists can reap your organization a world of positive publicity and boost your reputation among potential recruits. But to win, you need to know how to play the game. Compensation & Benefits asked the experts to share some tips for placing well on the many “best companies to work for” lists …

7 steps to increase the use of voluntary benefits

05/01/2008
It’s possible for an organization to keep or even add employee benefits while tightening its belt and saying no to labor-intensive new products. How? Offer more voluntary benefits, which require little to no administration by HR and are paid for entirely by employees who choose to accept them …

KPMG attracts, retains employees with generous paid vacation time

05/01/2008
When global accounting firm KPMG hires a new employee, that recruit gets five weeks of paid vacation time—on Day One …

Extensive training is the key to recruiting and retaining

05/01/2008
Verizon Wireless is keeping its employees longer by keeping them educated and trained. The Basking Ridge, N.J.-based company pays tuition for employees to earn business-related degrees …