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HR Management

Can we require grooming standards without being guilty of religious bias?

08/18/2011
Q. Our company requires male employees to keep their hair short. However, a recent applicant has stated that his religion does not allow him to cut his hair. Will requiring him to cut his hair to get the job violate federal law?

Arbitration agreement should stand on its own, separately from employee handbook

08/18/2011
Even if an arbitration agreement is fair and evenhanded enough to meet California standards, employers still have to clear the hurdle of showing that employees knew about the policy and agreed to it. That means making sure that employees actually read the document—or at least sign off that they did or had the opportunity to do so.

Back to school … with your office supplies?

08/16/2011
If you’re the person who orders office supplies in your organization, take a look at your month-to-month purchasing in recent years. Do you notice a spike in spending—triggered by a drop in inventory—from mid-August to early September? Our new “HR Soapbox” blog offers ideas for stopping “back-to-school” pilferage.

HR CSI: Conducting a post-mortem of a legal claim

08/16/2011

If you’ve ever been caught up in an employment lawsuit, chances are you couldn’t wait for it to be over. Yet every case presents a valuable opportunity to prevent future problems and improve HR effectiveness by conducting an “autopsy” of the claim. Jathan Janove tells you how.

Overcoming the challenges of not having an office

08/16/2011

Being in HR requires the ability to maintain confidentiality. This can be challenging if you do not have an office with a door that you can close and lock. Here are some ways you can overcome the challenges of working in a cubicle.

Providing (Gulp!) Upward Feedback

08/15/2011

Holding rank-and-file employees accountable for their inappropriate actions (or getting their managers to do so!) is a pretty standard part of your job. But what happens when it’s necessary to direct your critique upwards — to address the inappropriate behavior of your boss or other high-level executive? As uncomfortable as it may be, it’s important that you not shirk this duty.

Lessons from the 2011 SHRM conference

08/15/2011
Each summer, the annual Society for Human Resource Management conference brings together the largest gathering of HR professionals under one roof. Here are a few bits of wisdom picked up at this year’s event in Las Vegas:

OSHA may require you to record ergonomic injuries

08/12/2011

OSHA recently reintroduced the idea of a proposed rule that would require employers to report work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)—ergonomic injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome—on their OSHA 300 injury and illness logs.

Pay Statements: 50 State Laws

08/11/2011

Most states have laws that require employers to provide workers with regular statements about their compensation. To help you prevent pay-stub violations, this downloadable PDF chart cites the pay-statement laws for all states that have such laws. Plus, it explains whether pay stubs can be provided to employees electronically …

Chicago’s Jackson Park Hospital faces bias, retaliation charges

08/11/2011
The EEOC is suing Jackson Park Hos­pital and Medical Center for race dis­crimination and retaliation, alleging that the South Side Chicago institution condones race bias and retaliated against workers who complained about discrimination.