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Employee Relations

Use performance evaluation to bolster exempt status

09/01/2007

Employers have the burden of proving that exempt employees meet one of the exemptions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). That means you must be prepared to show that the actual job the employee performs meets an exemption. Regular performance appraisals provide a convenient and effective way to do that …

Make sure job skills tests measure what prospective employees actually will do

09/01/2007

You’ve just created a new position and a job description to go with it. That description includes essential job functions, as well as education and training requirements. Now you want to create a skills test to make sure applicants can do the job. Not so fast! Before you have the first applicant take the test, double-check that your test measures the attributes related to the essential functions you specified in the job description …

Get employee buy-in on job descriptions

09/01/2007
Do you have current job descriptions for every position on your team? If they’re more than six months old, you may have a lot to gain by updating them.

It’s time to figure out who will replace the boomers

09/01/2007

Despite what you’ve heard about would-be retirees clinging to their jobs long into their golden years, the average retirement age is 62. That means the boomers are going to start racing into retirement. How many employees is your organization going to lose? Chances are, you don’t know. Most organizations don’t know how old their employees are or when those in their 60s plan to retire. Supervisors may know on a case-by-case basis, but what the organization needs is an overall profile so a mad dash out the door doesn’t catch anyone by surprise …

Want to become strategic? Know the 3 projects to tackle

09/01/2007

Only 23% of execs say HR plays a key role in shaping company strategy and affecting operating results, says a new Deloitte survey. The key for you: “Pick a project that impresses executives, impacts the bottom line and makes good use of your time,” says Dave Ulrich, co-founder of the RBL Group and a University of Michigan business professor …

Raises to remain flat in ’08, but bonuses gain favor

08/21/2007

A trio of closely watched national salary surveys say that employers plan to dole out annual pay raises of about 3.8% in 2008. The biggest trend: Employers are devoting an increasing amount of their salary budgets to bonuses. Here’s how to keep your bonus programs fair and legal…

4 ways HR can shut down the workplace rumor mill

08/07/2007

The average employee spends 65 hours a year gossiping about work, according to a survey by Equisys. Fortunately, HR is ideally positioned to head off misinformation that comes out of the office rumor mill. These four tips will help you stay ahead of office gossip.

Dealing with foul-smelling workers: 6 tips for ‘The talk’

08/07/2007

Hosting a termination meeting may be easier than having to tell an employee that he or she has offensive body odor. Here are six tips for handling the issue in your workplace:

Employees’ kids in the workplace: To ban or not?

08/01/2007

A participant in the Forum section of our HR Weekly e-letter (www.theHRSpecialist.com/weekly) complained of the “constant, low-grade distraction” of employees’ children in the office—particularly in summer. He posed this question: “Is it best to ban employees’ kids from the workplace?” Here are some of the comments from other HR professionals …

Employee pays when customers don’t?

08/01/2007

Q. I own a four-star restaurant in a large metropolitan area. Unfortunately, customers sometimes skip out on their checks. Can I deduct from the waitress’s salary the money owed by a fleeing customer? …