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HR Management

OSHA alert: Don’t set policies that stifle injury reporting

05/11/2012
OSHA last month issued a memo alerting its field officers to watch­­ out for employer policies and incentives that could discourage workers from reporting injuries.

Delta agrees to OSHA’s baggage-cart seat belt plan

05/10/2012
Delta Airlines has entered into a two-year settlement agreement with OSHA to install seat belts on all company baggage-handling vehicles. An OSHA inspection following an em­­ployee death led to the agreement.

Close skills gap with training, pay, planning

05/10/2012

More than half of U.S. employers are having trouble filling mission-critical positions, a ManpowerGroup report notes. It’s time to turn around the trend. Here are nine ways organizations are addressing the post-recession skills shortage:

Law firm axes employees for wearing orange

05/09/2012
The Fort Lauderdale law firm of Elizabeth R. Wellborn, P.A. apparently has several openings. Tip for job-seekers: Don’t wear orange to the interview.

‘Where do I find Elvis videos?’ and other IT inquiries

05/09/2012
Consulting firm Robert Half asked CIOs for the strangest employee requests they’ve received in their IT departments. Among the weirdest: “Can I turn the coffee pot on with my computer?”

Documentation: Not for your eyes only

05/09/2012
Under the rules of “discovery,” employees (and courts) are privy to almost any employment-related document during a dispute. Keep that in mind when you’re preparing in-house documents, formal and informal. Here are a few do’s and don’ts.

When employees are bilingual, it’s OK to require use of English in the workplace

05/03/2012

Employers can require employees to speak English at work, as long as they enforce the rule across the board. What they can’t do: Allow some employees to use one foreign language but punish others for using a third language.

Ensure training doesn’t foster discrimination

05/03/2012
If you have an internal training program designed to help em­­ployees advance their careers, make sure that it doesn’t unintentionally spur sex or other discrimination lawsuits.

When sexual harassment accusations fly, investigate and discipline right away

05/02/2012
Here’s a lesson learned from an employer that responded correctly when an employee complained about sexual harassment. Not only did it conduct a thorough investigation that helped it win a lawsuit, but it also prevented another potential sexual harassment claim when it discovered even more egregious behavior—from the original complainant himself.

Good documentation is the key to legally disciplining employees

05/01/2012
How you document a discipline issue can cause problems if an employee files a lawsuit. To protect your organization, follow these guidelines: