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Employee Relations

It IS rocket science: Learn from NASA how to prevent ‘Brain drain’ at your company

07/31/2007

Use NASA’s seven-question approach to help stem the loss of critical knowledge at your organization…

Will ‘Bullying Victim’ Become The Next Protected Category?

07/30/2007

Several states are debating legislation that would make “workplace bullying” an illegal practice, like discrimination or harassment. Passage of such bills would increase your liability risks and force you to referee personality disputes. Here’s the status of the legislation, and how your organization should respond …

Personnel records versus investigation records

07/20/2007

Q One of our employees has just filed a complaint with the company claiming that she has been sexually harassed. We are concerned that if we discipline the alleged harasser based on our findings and note this incident in his personnel file, he may demand to inspect our investigation records. May we avoid this by maintaining a separate investigation file?

Think you have a drug-Free workplace? Think again

07/17/2007

If you think your workplace is drug-free, chances are you’re wrong. According to a new government survey, one of every 12 U.S. workers uses illegal drugs. That’s up from earlier surveys. Here’s more on the trend and what employers can do about it …

Half of companies ignore their survey results

07/01/2007

Almost half of organizations that survey their employees ignore the feedback, says the latest study from Opinion Research Corp. Advice: If you’re not going to act on the findings, don’t conduct the survey …

The WARN Act: When must you notify employees of layoffs?

07/01/2007

The federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires certain employers to give their employees at least 60 days notice before a plant closing or mass layoff …

Continually asking as good as ordering, appeals court finds

07/01/2007

The 7th U.S. District Court of Appeals upheld damages for a towboat captain fired after he refused to push a load he considered unsafe …

Prevent hostile-environment lawsuits: No teasing allowed

07/01/2007

Many employees today are sensitive about their ethnic backgrounds, but may hesitate to report teasing or name-calling for fear of being seen as troublemakers. That means a lawsuit could be brewing …

The best managers are the best listeners: 4 steps

07/01/2007
Managers spend a good part of their workday listening to other people. But bear in mind, there’s a big difference between “passive” and “active” listening. In many cases, managers are too busy thinking about their response rather than listening to the employee’s full statement. In a business setting, this lack of attention can result in […]

You are required to notify employees who have been exposed to air contaminants

07/01/2007

Q. What are the requirements for eliminating welding fumes? According to recent air contaminant testing, our employees are exposed to fumes that exceed the permissible limit. Michigan OSHA (MIOSHA) has not inspected us. Are we required to notify MIOSHA or the federal OSHA of the test results? Are we required to notify anyone else? …