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HR Management

HR salaries: It pays to specialize

02/13/2012
Compensation for employees in HR specialties (benefits, training, etc.) is about 20% higher than for HR general positions, says a report by Culpepper and Associates.

Excessive bathroom use: a real disability?

02/13/2012
Q. We have a couple of employees who get tardies for being late and their excuses have been that they’re in the bathroom due to a disability. So I follow them to the bathroom because I know they are lying. Am I breaking the law by following them? Is this considered harassment? It’s getting out of hand.

Employee compensation: 12 trends for 2012

02/10/2012
Compensation experts are predicting modest but steady wage growth over the next few years as employers shake off the salary freezes, layoffs and low profits brought on by the recession. Still, a recent Forbes story says 2012 could be The Year of the Employee Back­­lash, as workers look for greener pastures.

Jennie-O Turkey cited for amputation incident

02/09/2012
Willmar-based Jennie-O Turkey Stores faces 11 safety violations after a machine at its Barron, Wisc., slaughterhouse cut off an employee’s arm.

Use harassment hotline? Keep detailed records

02/09/2012
Chances are, you have a sexual harassment policy that gives em­­ployees several ways to report har­­ass­­ment—maybe including a hotline for phoning in problems. But beware: An employee may file an EEOC complaint before you even have a chance to investigate alleged harassment. If that happens, your hotline records may play a crucial role in your defense.

What’s the biggest challenge you face as you try to make HR more effective this year?

02/07/2012
Too much to do, too little management support are holding back HR.

HR’s loose lips can sink your company’s defense

02/07/2012
Sometimes in HR, you know more than you want to know. But as this new court ruling shows, sharing in­­side information with an employee isn’t a smart move … for your em­­ployer or your career.

Focus now on insurance renewal for 2013

02/06/2012
For most employers, open enrollment for health insurance benefits in 2012 has come and gone. So now’s the time for comp and benefits professionals to start planning for the next health insurance renewal go-round. An early start will give you a fighting chance to keep costs under control in 2013.

Can dermatologist tell worker to tone down the tan?

02/06/2012
Q. We’re a dermatology practice and one of our new em­­ployees is excessive with tanning. She has a dark tan and sometimes is sunburned. We promote the opposite of what she does. She also wears tight low-cut tops. Are we allowed to say something in both regards?

NLRB’s latest crack at social media policy? What a mess!

02/03/2012
In late January, the National Labor Relations Board released an “Operations Management Memo” that purports to offer additional guidance to employers and HR professionals concerned about employees’ use of social media. I can sum up the NLRB’s report in three words: What a mess.