HRIS / Technology

Enterprising techie rents city’s phones to family, friends

04/28/2010

An IT technician for the city of Philadelphia spotted an opportunity when she discovered 28 city cell phones that were going unused. She rented them out to friends, family members and eight city employees. The beneficiaries of her entrepreneurship then racked up more than $30,000 worth of phone calls and texts … She agreed to plead guilty to third-degree felony theft, obstruction and misuse of public property.

What are our obligations to prevent employees from accessing Internet porn at work?

04/15/2010

Q. All of our employees have Internet access at their workstations. We have heard rumors that several employees have been visiting pornographic and other inappropriate web sites, and displaying and disseminating objectionable material to others in the workplace. Even though we have not received a formal complaint, do we have an obligation to address this now? What steps can we take to avoid these problems?

Employees destroyed evidence? You can use it against them

04/15/2010

Most employers know they aren’t allowed to destroy evidence (including e-mail, other electronic communications and records) when a lawsuit is imminent. But what about when an employee who is about to sue the employer destroys evidence? Employers can use that destruction to their advantage in a lawsuit.

How should we react to an employee’s ‘kill the boss’ Facebook rant?

04/09/2010

Q. Our HR department got an anonymous call telling us that one of our employees posted comments on her Facebook page saying, “Some days I could kill my boss.” Can we demand that the employee let us see her page and fire her if she made a threat?

Vulgar e-mail: React differently if sent from home?

04/01/2010

Q. One of our employees sometimes sends offensive jokes to her fellow employees from her home e-mail account. We’re worried that someone may take offense and sue for racial or other harassment. What can we do if she’s sending this from home?

Hiring bias alert: Beware smoking-gun e-mails

03/26/2010

Remind everyone involved in the hiring process: It’s much better to pick up the phone to discuss a candidate than it is to send an e-mail. E-mails can be recovered (and used as evidence in court); phone calls cannot.

How much should I worry about employees using social networking sites?

02/16/2010

Q. I heard that Facebook use is really picking up, but I don’t think most of our employees are that tech-savvy. Should I be concerned about my employees accessing social networking sites while at work?

Spring cleaning: Give employee handbook a thorough going-over

02/09/2010

Because employment laws and your business are in a constant state of flux, it’s critical to keep your personnel policies up-to-date. As spring approaches, one item on every HR professional’s spring cleaning list should be a review of the organization’s employee handbook. In light of recent legal changes, be sure your policies include these updates:

Your new workers’ comp investigator: Facebook

02/05/2010

More employers are using Facebook and other social media sites to spot employees who file fraudulent workers’ comp claims. Example: An employee who was in too much pain to get out of bed posted video of himself competing in a rodeo.

How should we prohibit texting while driving?

01/22/2010

Q. I saw in the paper last week that texting while driving is no longer allowed in North Carolina. Should my company have a policy regarding this?