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HR Management

She’s violating the dress code! Now what?

10/03/2012
Do some of your employees emphasize the “casual” in your business-casual dress code? It’s best for managers and HR to step in early on these situations before they become major distractions or even legal issues. But what exactly should you say?

Clear policy, training: Your best defenses against co-worker harassment lawsuits

10/02/2012
Is your sexual harassment policy up-to-date? If it has been gathering dust and is largely ignored, you are creating possible co-worker sexual harassment liability.

What does your bathroom say about your business?

10/02/2012
A survey shows that 83% of Americans believe the condition of a workplace restroom is one indicator of how an employer values its workforce.

The HR I.Q. Test: October ’12

10/01/2012
Test your knowledge of recent trends in employment law, comp & benefits and other HR issues with our monthly mini-quiz …

What should we do? Our work requires talking on cellphones while driving

09/26/2012

Q. The animal care officers who work for us spend 80% of their time driving and responding to rescue calls via cellphone. Requiring them to pull off the road while talking on their phones wouldn’t work. Is there another way to limit our liability?

You can’t say that! Or can you? Discussing politics in the workplace

09/26/2012
Election season often increases the volume and vociferousness of political conversations. Widening ideological gulfs, dissected and fueled by pundits, have made politics seem like a contact sport more than ever. While some political activities can be prohibited in the workplace, some actions are protected.

Peers name Mercer top HR consulting firm

09/24/2012
Mercer has been voted 2012’s top HR consulting firm in a poll conducted by the career planning website Vault.com.

Plug in: Making the leap to electronic HR records

09/21/2012
Many employers are making the leap to “paperless” HR. Digital records are easy to access and cheap to archive. But despite the many benefits of electronic records storage, a host of legal problems could derail even the best-intentioned digital records plan. Here are the issues to consider before you make the transition.

Can we implement a civility code that prohibits employees from name-calling?

09/20/2012

Q. I’d like to institute a civility code that goes beyond the basic racial and sexual slurs to include any name-calling that is demeaning, crude or rude. What do you suggest as punishment?

Investigate or else! When harassment surfaces, HR inquiries and action could be worth millions

09/20/2012
If you can’t find a way to end persistent workplace harassment, a court may conclude that your organization acted recklessly in denying an employee’s civil rights. That may mean you’ll owe a huge punitive damages award.