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Employee Relations

Workplace rules can be flexible … if enforced fairly

03/01/2007

When it comes to creating workplace rules, don’t think you have to spell out every last detail. It’s OK to leave some rules intentionally vague, so you’ll have some wiggle room. Just be sure to exercise your discretion fairly …

Results, not hours, are focus of Best Buy clock-Smashing plan

03/01/2007

At Best Buy headquarters in Richfield, Minn., leaving work early doesn’t trigger a guilt trip for employees, as long as their work is finished. The Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE) initiative makes it possible …

You can suggest FMLA leave without triggering ADA liability

03/01/2007

What do you do if you think an employee, especially one whose performance is declining, could benefit from taking FMLA leave? Do you plant the suggestion or wait until the employee approaches you? The fact is, you can suggest FMLA leave for a serious health condition and not run afoul of the ADA …


Study: Workaholics hurt employers, family, self

03/01/2007

Workaholics, or people who work in “extreme jobs,” cost themselves, their families and their employers dearly, according to a new Center for Work-Life Policy study …

When are overweight employees considered ‘Disabled’?

03/01/2007

Is obesity a disability? Until recently, the answer has been “Fat chance!” But that may be changing. A recent ADA court ruling opens the door to some types of obesity being defined as disabilities …

How to respond when employees show mental instability

03/01/2007

A star employee tells you his new depression medicine makes it impossible for him to get to work on time. Must you alter his schedule? …

Firing a troublemaker? Focus on concrete business reasons

03/01/2007

When it comes time to fire a difficult employee, focus on clear and easily explained legitimate business reasons for the action you want to take. That means documenting any work problems and relating those problems to the major job functions you hired the employee to perform …

The Dirty Dozen: Manager mistakes that spark lawsuits

03/01/2007

Lawsuits by employees against their employers have grown tremendously in the past decade. Sometimes those lawsuits have merit, sometimes they don’t. Here are 12 of the biggest manager mistakes that harm an organization’s credibility in court. Use these points as a checklist to shore up your personal employment-law defense.

Ogling Google: Best benefit practices of 100 ‘Best’ firms

03/01/2007

Google is just eight years old, but it beat out a slew of old-timers to snag the No. 1 spot on Fortune’s list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For.” Reason: Its benefits are to die for …

Corporate Culture is key at 11 Florida firms on ‘Best’ list

03/01/2007

Fortune magazine’s recently released list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For, 2007” includes 11 Florida employers. In light of the current tight labor market, it’s important to note the reasons they made the list …