• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

HRIS / Technology

Investigating customer complaint: How can we access our sales rep’s cellphone records?

12/12/2012

Q. We recently received a complaint that one of our sales reps had sent false emails and texts about one customer to another. We determined that the emails and texts have been sent from the cell­­phone we provide to the sales rep. We asked the service provider to send us copies of the emails and text messages. The service provider refused our request. Why can’t we get that information?

State university adopts HR plan separate from government’s

11/29/2012

A major overhaul of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s HR system began as an attempt for the university to create an HR system separate from the Wisconsin state government’s, in part so it would have greater flexibility to reward and retain talented employees.

Surveillance video law: How do we comply?

11/08/2012

Q. We have surveillance cameras in several locations in our workplace that record activity, but no sound. The images can be viewed over the Internet by supervisors and HR personnel who have the password to the site. What should our privacy and electronic communications policy say about access to the camera feed?

Cyber Monday is looming: Recirculate your online policy

10/26/2012
Cyber Monday, the online version of deal-hunting Black Friday, is Nov. 26. Last holiday season, 50% of people said they spent time shopping online at work. Clarify your expectations and company policy with employees before the holidays begin.

Employers set few limits on off-duty smartphone usage

10/12/2012
Only 21% of employers set formal policies that limit employees’ use of cellphones and tablets during nonworking hours, and 26% have informal policies limiting their use, says a new SHRM survey.

Workers using iPads? Tap into the best apps

10/08/2012
The iPad can be a great tool for your employees, especially if they move from place to place or are on the go all day. Here are the essential business apps for any employee, according to PC Magazine:

How can an IT network crash become an employment law issue?

10/04/2012

Why should HR worry about what the IT department does? After all, you’re about people … they’re about hardware and software. But there is one time when HR must collaborate with IT: when the system goes down.

A friend indeed: Do Facebook users have privacy rights?

08/23/2012

At last count, the more than 900 million Facebook users have more than 125 billion “friends.” But in the workplace, who is really your friend on Facebook? In this recent case, a manager strong-armed an employee to get access to a co-worker’s Facebook page. Is that an invasion of privacy?

Illinois ‘Facebook Law’ bans seeking employee passwords

08/21/2012
Gov. Pat Quinn has signed legislation barring employers from requesting job applicants’ or employees’ social media passwords. Dubbed the “Face­­­book Law,” the new law is intended to protect employees’ private communications from the prying eyes of prospective or current bosses.

Make it easy for employees to work when, where they want

08/21/2012
The easier your organization makes it for employees to access work files from home—or from anywhere outside the office—the more time they will spend working before and after their scheduled hours. The more technology your organization’s employees can take home with them, the more productive they’ll be.