HRIS / Technology

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.

Spice up career page with motivational ‘word cloud’

08/14/2012

On your next employee survey, ask employees to describe in three words why they like working there. Then drop that list into the “word cloud” generator at Wordle and put that word cloud on your website’s career page.

Control employee cellphone use–an accident waiting to happen

08/13/2012

More and more employees use cellphones and smartphones to get their work done, something many employers encourage in the name of greater efficiency. But there’s a downside: significant safety and financial risks created by employees who use mobile devices while driving. Here’s some common-sense perspective on protecting your employees … and your bottom line.

HR, IT must work together: Document when, why computer systems crashed

07/27/2012

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, and that’s when the computer system crashes. All manner of HR mayhem can ensue, and you had better be able to explain it.

Setting & tracking goals: The 5 best free online tools

07/17/2012

If the number of goal-tracking tools online is any indication, the Internet wants you to stick to your goals. Here are five of the best free goal-setting tools available today.

Employees bringing their smartphones to work? 6 ways to manage the legal risks

07/09/2012

Employees’ use of personal smartphones (and tablets such as iPads) raises risks not present when employees use company-issued devices. Advice: Take these six steps before allowing employees to use their personal e-tools for work.

A ‘sledgehammer’ to social media policies

06/22/2012

Even if you included a new social media policy in your employee handbook recently, it’s time to review it again. The NLRB issued a report recently that called into question the legality of some of the wording employers commonly use in their social media policies.

New scrutiny may change the way employers access social media

06/08/2012

Before you plunge into cyberspace in search of information on applicants (or current employees), understand the legal implications. Employers’ efforts to access employees’ and applicants’ private social media websites have recently been subject to increased scrutiny by New York and federal legislators.

Congress considers ‘Facebook password’ bill

05/31/2012

Media reports speculating that a handful of employers asked employees for their social-media passwords has led Congress to consider legislation that would make it illegal for employers to request employees’ (or applicants’) passwords.