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Employee Relations

You can fire managers who ignore harassment complaints

11/01/2006

The best harassment policy in the world isn’t worth the paper it’s written on if employees don’t take it seriously. To show your policy has teeth, you have to let it bite …

Workers’ comp liability for aging employees

11/01/2006

Q. One of our employees is over age 70 and has had a broken foot, memory problems and a recent car wreck that caused some residual problems. Should we allow her to work? What can we do (if anything) to protect ourselves from potential workers’ comp claims should she injure herself?

Supreme Court: No Need to Investigate ‘Silent’ Victims

11/01/2006

When the U.S. Supreme Court began its new term, one of its first moves was to reject a case that could have created new responsibilities for employers in investigating sexual harassment …

Red alert: The 8 warning signs of violent employee behavior

11/01/2006

When violence occurs at work, employees may say their violent co-worker "just snapped." But, the truth is, people usually don’t snap. They display warning signs long before they actually act out. Too many supervisors let things like threats and argumentative behavior slide until it’s too late …

Discrimination lawsuit by lesbian nurse fails in court

11/01/2006

A federal judge in the Northern District of Texas recently dismissed a Title VII discrimination lawsuit brought by a lesbian nurse who claimed that she was fired because of her sexuality and appearance …

Layoff choices: Focus on performance, not just salary level

11/01/2006

Nothing triggers age discrimination lawsuits like a layoff. After all, saving money is a primary consideration in most decisions to downsize. And because long-term employees are often paid more than newer employees, organizations that focus on money often end up with layoff lists heavy with post-40-year-olds. That’s a recipe for an Age Discrimination in Employment Act lawsuit …

Prepare to justify answers with solid business reasons

11/01/2006

While many employees view a transfer to a different location as a positive career move, others don’t see it that way. Some employees may assume discrimination in what your organization thinks of as normal career development …

Carefully craft an escape clause in all job contracts

11/01/2006

If you use employment contracts for independent contractors or senior-level managers, make sure those contracts contain enough "wiggle room" to terminate for cause based on your subjective performance assessment …

Survive a PHRC probe only with precise documentation

11/01/2006

Conventional wisdom holds that employers won’t face strict scrutiny if they fire employees who aren’t meeting performance expectations during their probationary period. Conventional wisdom is wrong, at least when it comes to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission …

Maximize commuter perks: Save workers money, stress

11/01/2006

Soaring gas prices earlier this year led many employees to seriously consider bailing out of their long commutes and find jobs closer to home. While gas prices have moderated (at least for now), many employees still face long, expensive, time-wasting trips to work. To ease employees’ pain, employers are increasingly turning to creative commuter benefits …