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HRIS / Technology

What should we do in light of California’s new no-texting-while-driving law?

03/20/2009

Q. How does the new California law making it illegal to send and read text messages while driving affect employers?

When employees leave, so does company data

03/18/2009

More than half of employees who lost or left their jobs in 2008 took company data with them, according to a study conducted by Ponemon Institute and cyber-security software maker Symantec. A shocking 59% of respondents claimed they had copied or e-mailed company data.

Communication Corner: March ’09

02/26/2009

Halt interruptions by giving your office a makeover … If it’s important, re-re-repeat it … Follolw these 5 steps to becoming a better conversationalist … Help employees prioritize their tasks … Make a good impression with the "Rule of 12/12/12."

Lost in MySpace: Know the law before searching web for applicant info

02/24/2009

Many of the millions who post information online never think a potential employer might read what they post. Meanwhile, employers believe that if the information is available online for the viewing, they have an obligation to look. However, several laws may restrict how you conduct the search or how you use the information.

Warn everyone on staff: E-mail isn’t ‘private’

02/24/2009

Are you looking for a way to discourage employees from using the company e-mail system to send personal messages and curtail circulation of potentially harassing or discriminatory communication? Then tell them about the case involving Henry T. Nicholas III, the embattled co-founder of Broadcom.

What should we do about a disgruntled worker who disparages us on the web?

02/24/2009

Q. One of my employees has created his own web site. Recently, he has been posting negative comments about our company. Specifically, he has accused the company of failing to provide adequate benefits and paying below-market wages. Can we fire the worker for this conduct?

Personal information on work computers: No expectation of privacy

02/24/2009

A New Jersey appeals court has held for the first time that an employee has no reasonable expectation that personal information stored on work computers is private—even if the employee has created a separate password to protect the information. Employers have the right to search work computers.

Sleeping in peace: Can employee claim that video of his on-duty nap violates his privacy?

02/19/2009

What should you do if you suspect an employee is goofing off at work or perhaps sleeping at his desk? One employer recently took a high-tech approach to that problem, setting up a surveillance camera to catch an employee in the act. It worked, but it took a trip to court to finally put this case to bed.

Should we limit use of personal phones while driving?

02/19/2009

Q. We have field employees who use their own cell phones on the job. Do we need to establish a policy on cell phone usage, even though the phones aren’t ours and aren’t required by us?

Ohio EEO official’s motto: ‘Do as I say, not as I do’

02/12/2009

The Ohio Department of Transportation’s equal employment opportunity contracts coordinator, responsible for making sure agency vendors comply with state and federal anti-discrimination laws, has been punished for sending racist and sexist messages through the agency’s e-mail system.