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HR Management

Upstate sporting goods store fined for endangering workers

09/07/2011
It could have given new meaning to the phrase “squeeze play.” Dick’s Sporting Goods has been fined after safety inspectors discovered that managers at a store in Queensbury failed to turn off a trash compactor before forcing employees to climb inside to clear jammed cardboard boxes.

Investigations: How to solve the classic ‘he said/she said’ impasse

09/07/2011
It’s a mistake that’s all too common: An employer investigating harassment claims or other workplace infraction fails to act when the inquiry bumps up against a “he said/she said” wall. There are four factors critical to assessing witness credibility: demeanor, consistency, chronology, and past history and motivations.

The HR I.Q. Test: September ’11

09/06/2011
Test your knowledge of recent trends in employment law, comp & benefits and other HR issues with our monthly mini-quiz.

Feds find fault with ‘no fault’ attendance policies

09/06/2011

Verizon’s recent $20 million settlement of a class-action lawsuit—the largest disability settlement in EEOC history—is shining a spotlight on the legal risks of no-fault attendance policies. The lawsuit claimed the company violated the ADA by refusing to make exceptions to its no-fault attendance policy to accommodate employees with disabilities.

OSHA claims Niles dentist muzzled whistle-blowers

09/05/2011
Dr. A. Scott Santucci, a dentist in Niles, faces charges he harassed employees who refused to clean up two separate mercury spills at the practice’s office in 2010.

$100K in OSHA fines for Salem air filter factory

09/02/2011
OSHA has cited MM Industries’ factory in Salem for 38 serious safety and health violations. The company manufactures air filtration products at the plant. Safety violations ran the gamut, from not knowing how much weight a floor could bear to failing to install emergency lighting.

When racially charged symbols appear, remove them ASAP and punish culprits

09/02/2011
Here’s an incentive to keep ra­­cially hostile symbols out of the workplace: In a case that resulted in no other damages, five black em­­ployees received $50,000 each for spotting a noose at work.

Authorize managers to act fast to remove offensive material from workplace

09/01/2011
Here’s a good way to stop needless sexual or other harassment claims: Empower even low-level supervisors to immediately remove any material anyone could consider even remotely offensive. The best outcome: Offensive material disappears before anyone has a chance to complain.

The HR I.Q. Test: September ’11

09/01/2011
Test your knowledge of recent trends in employment law, comp & benefits and other HR issues with our monthly mini-quiz.

HR strategies: Focus on essentials during tough times

08/30/2011

A recession has a way of changing the way businesses do business. HR is no exception. Here are three back-to-basics strategies for HR pros to consider as organizations permanently adopt the cost- and time-effective strategies they have embraced out of necessity over the past couple of years.