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Employee Relations

Hidden risk: Do your staff committees violate labor law?

01/01/2004
Consider these two scenarios:
1. At the suggestion of a project manager, your organization starts an employee committee to provide workers a voice in safety issues. Management and the safety …

Don’t hem & haw: Speak like you mean business

01/01/2004
Issue: The phrases you use to offer your ideas can sabotage your credibility with other people. Benefit: Nobody takes you seriously when you don’t speak confidently. Action: Take the …

Barefoot, pregnant … and dragging you into court

01/01/2004
Issue: Even one offhand remark, if timed just right, can spell “discrimination.” Risk: Years of diligence in preventing discrimination among managers can go up in smoke instantly. Action: Advise …

No need for OK before misconduct investigations

01/01/2004

Good news: You no longer have to notify employees suspected of workplace misconduct that they are targets of third-party investigations. Congress recently altered the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) …

No need to get employees’ OK before misconduct investigations

01/01/2004

Good news: Your organization no longer has to notify employees suspected of workplace misconduct that they are targets of third-party investigations. That’s because Congress recently reauthorized the Fair Credit Reporting Act …

Don’t take a manager’s word that he’s not retaliating

01/01/2004
Issue: Courts will frown on “rubber-stamped” discipline against an employee who has complained of harassment. Risk: You can be implicated as part of an internal “conspiracy” to retaliate. Action: …

React quickly to employee threats

01/01/2004
Issue: Firing someone who threatens a co-worker may be worth the risk of being sued for wrongful discharge. Risk: Wrongful-discharge claims versus serious injury or even death: Which would be …

Don’t expect employees on FMLA leave to stay in bed

01/01/2004
Issue: Make sure you’re in the right before punishing people for ‘misusing’ FMLA leave. Risk: Tons in legal fees defending an arbitrary decision. Action: Make it clear to employees …

4 Tips for Choosing a Long-Term Care Insurance Plan

01/01/2004

Long-term care (LTC) insurance can offer a low-cost way to upgrade employee benefits. The benefits: reduced absenteeism due to employee caregiving duties and  tax benefits for some employers. Use these four strategies to decide whether sponsoring an LTC insurance plan makes sense for your organization …

Don’t expect those on FMLA leave to ‘stay home and shut the blinds’

12/01/2003
You can discipline employees if you discover that they lied about their need for FMLA leave or they seriously misused their leave time. For example, a court recently upheld the firing …