• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

HR Management

Don’t bury arbitration agreement in handbook

08/21/2012
The Court of Appeal of California has ruled that an arbitration agreement hidden deep in the recesses of an employee handbook can’t be en­­forced. The provision didn’t stand out, didn’t require a signature and could be changed by the employer at any time. The court said that rendered it unconscionable.

OSHA won’t let Illinois whistle-blowers be railroaded

08/21/2012
Three whistle-blowers will collect more than $650,000 after two different railroads fired them following workplace accidents. OSHA concluded the three men were wrongfully accused of safety violations to divert blame for workplace hazards.

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.

Got a hugger on your hands? He spells trouble

08/21/2012
Having a good sexual harassment policy in place doesn’t mean much if your supervisors ignore it. Take, for example, someone who is what we might call “touchy feely.”

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.

Working moms weigh in on career prospects

08/15/2012
Having children limits a working mother’s career progression, say 53% of women in a Korn/Ferry survey. Here’s what else they said:

OSHA sanctions SeaWorld after orca trainer death

08/14/2012
OSHA has ordered Orlando’s SeaWorld marine park to change the ways in which trainers and orcas interact following the death of orca trainer Dawn Brancheau.

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.

How to banish burnout: Secrets of Yahoo’s new CEO

08/13/2012
As one of the most well-known women in technology, Marissa Mayer turned a few heads when she announced that she doesn’t believe in burnout. “I have a theory that burnout is about resentment,” says Yahoo’s new CEO. “And you beat it by knowing what it is you’re giving up that makes you resentful. I tell people: Find your rhythm … ”