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HR Management

You never have to tolerate fights in the workplace

01/27/2012
Violence in the workplace is a harsh reality, but employers must provide a safe work environment. That may mean terminating employees who threaten other employees or get into fights.

Staff Twitter accounts: Who ‘owns’ the followers?

01/27/2012
If your employees post on their work-related Twitter accounts, a pending lawsuit in a federal California court could answer an important question: Who owns that Twitter “handle” and those followers when the employee leaves?

HR issues are a hot topic in state legislatures

01/26/2012
With Congress focused on election-year politics, keep an eye on your state for potential changes to employment laws, says the Society for Human Resource Management. Some issues on tap: background checks, paid sick leave, mandatory E-Verify and workplace bullying.

Consider having a witness to employee meetings

01/25/2012
When it comes to litigation, who said what is often the crux of the matter. That’s why it’s important to have a witness during any meeting involving bias complaints.

Save on legal fees: The 7 most common law firm billing errors

01/24/2012
If part of your job is dealing with outside attorneys and reviewing their invoices, know what kind of overcharges to look for. You can save the company money and prove your bottom-line impact to the top brass. Here are the seven most common errors to watch for.

UCLA, professor charged in lab tech’s 2009 death

01/20/2012
A laboratory fire that killed a UCLA technician has resulted in felony charges against the university and Pro­­fessor Patrick Harran, who ran the lab.

FMLA: Flare-ups every Friday? Check it out

01/20/2012
While employees with chronic medical conditions are typically entitled to FMLA leave, such intermittent absences are fertile ground for abuse. After all, an employee on intermittent leave can simply call in and say his condition is acting up. But that doesn’t mean you’re powerless if you suspect abuse.

What should an anti-violence policy include?

01/18/2012
Q. We do not have a workplace violence policy and would like to prepare one. What should we include in the policy?

How should we go about reviewing our violence-prevention program?

01/18/2012
Q. We’re re-examining our workplace violence-­prevention strategies. What guidance is available to employers?

Gospel truth: You must accommodate employees’ religious needs

01/18/2012
Charges of religious discrimination filed with the EEOC have increased steadily in recent years. One recent case provides a powerful reminder that employers are obligated to reasonably accommodate an employee’s religious beliefs and practices.