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HR Management

What to do when enforcement agencies come knocking

10/12/2012

The federal government, most states and some municipalities all have agencies charged with enforcing employment laws. Employers are most likely to have contact with agencies that enforce anti-discrimination laws. How you deal with those enforcement agencies when discrimination charges surface matters a lot.

Is your cube becoming a cage? 6 tips to put the ‘human’ back in HR

10/12/2012
Getting out on the shop floor or into the breakroom could counter employee attitudes that link HR only with bad news and being disconnected from employees. Here are six tips to help raise HR’s visibility.

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.

What to do if you suspect intoxication at work

10/10/2012
When you smell alcohol on an employee, or receive reports that an employee smells of alcohol, you need to act fast to protect everyone’s safety. However, it’s also essential to handle the situation prudently. Follow these guidelines.

Ensure policy lets employees report harassment to someone other than boss

10/09/2012
Your sexual harassment policy may not be worth the paper it’s printed on if doesn’t spell out an alternative reporting option for em­­ployees who allege they were harassed by their supervisors. You must allow employees to bypass their bosses.

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:

Employee handbooks: Avoid the 12 most common, costly mistakes

10/05/2012
Employment law attorneys point to a dozen common employee handbook mistakes that cause employers their biggest headaches. If you want to make a plaintiff’s attorney salivate, show him or her an employee handbook that involves any of these issues:

Curing absenteeism: A 12-step program

10/05/2012
With the recession easing, employees are feeling secure enough in their jobs to start missing more days at work. Here are a dozen ways to keep employees coming to work as scheduled, reserving sick leave for health problems—not as a catch-all bank of time off.

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.

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?