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HR Management

The HR I.Q. Test: May ’12

05/01/2012
Test your knowledge of recent trends in employment law, comp & benefits and other HR issues with our monthly mini-quiz …

 

Take off, knowing the office is in good hands

05/01/2012
Whether you want to enjoy a summer vacation or have to unexpectedly be out of the office because of a family emergency, actions you take now can save you from worrying about work. These preparations will make you confident that your colleagues can handle your absence.

Not a matter of style: Factor safety, liability into dress code

04/30/2012

A recent HR Specialist poll found that casual attire is the norm in 88% of our readers’ workplaces. But a culture of dressing down doesn’t mean organizations don’t need a dress code. What people wear to work is more than a matter of personal preference. One area of primary concern is safety.

You must pay for training that isn’t truly voluntary

04/30/2012
Do you require employees to complete after-hours training that will ben­­efit your operations but isn’t directly job-related? If so, you must pay them for their time, unless you can show that participation is truly voluntary.

Hear me now? OSHA slams firm for noise hazards–again

04/30/2012
Apparently, Piping Technology & Products (PTP) is a noisy place—so noisy that management failed to hear OSHA the first time it cited the company a year ago. Now it must pay OSHA fines totaling $118,000 after inspectors discovered conditions leading to one willful and nine serious health and safety violations.

An app for that: Applicants at Sodexo phone in their résumés

04/25/2012

Candidates can apply for jobs at Sodexo through an app on their smartphones. The new jobs app allows would-be employees to search and apply for Sodexo jobs in the United States by keyword, discipline or location.

How should we manage unused vacation?

04/19/2012

Q. Several of our employees have compiled a lot of vacation time. Is there any way we can manage how much vacation leave time our employees accrue?

Worker gas deaths lead to hefty fines from Cal/OSHA

04/19/2012
Cal/OSHA has cited Lamont-based Community Recycling and Resources Recovery for 16 workplace safety violations after two brothers died from hydrogen sulfide gas exposure while working in a storm drain.

Remove offensive materials, then educate staff

04/19/2012
When sexually offensive signs or pictures appear in the workplace, it’s smart to remove them right away. But getting rid of tasteless material isn’t enough to stop a harassment lawsuit. This case shows that it pays to go one step further by educating employees on harassment.

The 5 elements your vacation leave policy must include

04/16/2012
Summer vacation season will soon be upon us, and that means it’s time to dust off your company’s time-off policy. A sound vacation policy addresses the following five elements: