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HR Management

4 questions to ask about supplemental insurance

05/11/2012

Supplemental health insurance plans can build good will among employees, make your benefits package more competitive and enhance HR’s image. To make sure you secure the best coverage at the best prices, ask insurance brokers about the following topics.

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.