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Employee Relations

Effective evaluations are management tools, legal protection

03/01/2008

Ah, the “halo effect”—the practice of inflating an employee’s annual evaluation to increase overall morale and avoid the unpleasantness of telling underperforming workers what their weaknesses are. Too bad using the halo strategy both undermines performance and exposes employers to legal risks …

GSK hosts movie mornings for employees’ families

03/01/2008

Once a year, GlaxoSmithKline’s facility in Moon Township, PA, rents a local movie theater and invites employees and their families to watch a film, munch on popcorn and sip sodas—free …

Trucking firm considers family before posting schedules

03/01/2008

At Green Bay, WI-based Schneider National, truck drivers can enter events such as a child’s birthday into the transportation firm’s electronic scheduler so supervisors won’t schedule them to be out of town on the big day. The organization pairs the scheduling tool with other work/life perks …

Fortune names 9 Chicago employers among best to work for

03/01/2008
Fortune magazine recently published its 2008 list of “100 Best Companies to Work For,” and nine Chicago employers made the list …

Pennsylvania employers make Fortune’s ‘Best to work for’ list

03/01/2008
Fortune magazine recently published its 2008 list of “100 Best Companies to Work For,” and two Pennsylvania health care providers made the cut …

10 things HR can do to help their companies go ‘green’

03/01/2008

Everywhere you turn, something or someone is being promoted as “environmentally friendly.” U.S. employers are no different; they’re jumping into all kinds of green practices in a bid to improve their public images, boost employee morale/loyalty and potentially cut costs …

Simple ways to salvage ‘Below-Standard’ employees

02/26/2008
Every manager has employees who perform below standard. They’re not terrible employees, but they’re not achieving the quality or quantity of work they’re capable of. Try these tips for letting underachieving employees know what’s expected and get them moving in the right direction.

Ants in his pants—But can you fire him?

02/26/2008
The Internet has created a whole new pond for employment lawyers to fish in. But you’re not powerless to your employees’ embarrassing—and potentially illegal—online activities. You can discipline employees who go over the line. You should specify what off-duty activity is prohibited in terms of unbecoming, immoral or illegal behavior …

What can we do? We overpaid part-timer, who knew it and didn’t come forward

02/22/2008
Q. Because of a human error in our payroll department, one of our part-time employees has been receiving a full-time salary for the past six months. Although we recently realized our mistake, the employee never came forward to let us know about the error. Aside from recouping the funds, what actions, if any, can we take against this employee for not being forthcoming?

Too hot to handle? Office romances need careful HR TLC

02/12/2008

Cupid’s arrow eventually flies into every workplace. Risks: Office romances can be disruptive and, even worse, open the door to legal problems. Action: Balance your need to reduce legal risks with a realistic view of employees’ lives. Stay away from trendy "love contracts."