• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

HR Management

The HR I.Q. Test: August ’11

08/02/2011
Test your knowledge of recent trends in employment law, comp & benefits and other HR issues with our monthly mini-quiz.

When can we fire for offensive body odor?

08/01/2011
Q. We have a staff member with body odor so bad that other staff members have complained and even threatened to leave the company. The employee has been disciplined several times and required to go home without pay until she agrees to comply with our grooming code. At what point can we legally terminate her?

Must we make employees available to EEOC investigators?

08/01/2011
Q. A former employee recently filed an EEOC complaint against our company alleging race discrimination. As part of its investigation, the agency will be coming to our offices to interview employees. Do I have to make the employees available? As the HR director, should I sit in on the employee interviews?

Want to catch harassment? Go looking for it

07/29/2011

More than a decade after the U.S. Supreme Court decided its biggest cases on sexual harassment and hostile work environment, women are still filing and winning sexual harassment lawsuits. Many of those cases could easily have been prevented if HR and upper-level management had taken regular, surprise walks through the workplace and rooted out obvious signs.

Online tool helps employers record worker injuries/illnesses

07/28/2011
After an injury occurs at work, do you know how (or even if) you should keep a record? OSHA recently unveiled a new online tool, the OSHA Recordkeeping Advisor, that uses a Q&A format to help you decide.

Are we required to verify ex-employee’s info?

07/27/2011
Q. Sometimes, we get calls from government agencies or collection agencies seeking employment verification. Do we have to provide the information?

Do we have to tolerate moonlighting by employee who is out on FMLA leave?

07/26/2011
Q. We recently learned that an employee on FMLA leave is working for another company. Can we fire him?

What should we do? Employee almost divulged insider-trading information on Facebook

07/26/2011
Q. We recently learned that one of our employees posted comments on a friend’s Facebook page, coming to our company’s defense over a recent drop in stock price. The employee came dangerously close to disclosing information about earnings that were not yet public. What can and should we do?

How to prevent workplace violence–and manage legal liability

07/26/2011
According to the latest numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 12% of assailants in fatal workplace shootings are co-workers or former co-workers. Sadly, violence can strike any workplace. That’s why it’s so important to be able to recognize the signs of potential trouble and have protocols in place to prevent a poten­tially tragic situation. That’s often easier said than done.

OSHA cites Troy Chemical after Newark accident

07/26/2011
OSHA has issued 11 serious safety citations to Troy Chemical Corp. arising from a chemical spill at the company’s Newark facility. OSHA fines will amount to $62,100.