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HR Management

Must you pay for protective equipment? OSHA explains rules

03/25/2011
Employers are required to provide and pay for most types of employee personal protective equipment (PPE), such as goggles and earplugs, but not for others, such as steel-toed boots. OSHA just released a new enforcement guidance document that explains those differences.

11,000 join ranks of federal teleworkers

03/24/2011
About 11,000 more federal government workers telecommuted in 2009 than in 2008, the federal Office of Personnel Management reports. The increase brings the number of government employees who work at home or at telework centers at least part of the time to 5.72% of the federal workforce.

Under a PTO plan, how should we handle payouts when employees quit or get fired?

03/22/2011
Q. Our company is considering replacing sick leave and vacation benefits with a paid time off (PTO) system. Under a PTO plan, how should we handle it when an employee resigns or is terminated?

Training budgets bounce back: Where to spend

03/22/2011
The recession taught many employers to save on training by experimenting with video, teleconference and online learning—cost-effective alternatives to traditional stand-up courses. Follow these 10 steps to develop your organization’s training. Tip: Invest in your own online learning with the HR Specialist LEAP Symposium interactive webcast.

37 ways to lower your health care costs

03/22/2011
Average employer-paid health benefit costs have increased about 6% per year for the last five years. At least in the short term, the year-old health care reform law may make the problem even worse. All the more reason to act now to get your health care costs under control. One of the most effective ways: conducting a dependent audit to make sure the people you’re covering are actually eligible for insurance benefits.

Nice work if you can get it: 12 years of full-time time off

03/22/2011
Heads are rolling in Norfolk, Va., following the discovery that a government worker who was suspended 12 years ago and hasn’t done a day of work since then has been drawing a paycheck the whole time. And get this: Now that she’s been officially fired, she’s suing.

Push is on for space and time for breastfeeding at work

03/22/2011
New moms who want to continue breastfeeding after they return to work have powerful supporters behind them—and a new law that says their employers have to give them time, privacy and space to pump. Here are six factors to consider if your organization is planning to set up space for breastfeeding moms:

Put muscle in your flex: Quit justifying, start implementing

03/21/2011

In recent years, it’s become clear that companies are slow to adopt flexible workplace practices. Employees at award-winning workplaces continue to lament their lack of flexibility. While 80% of Americans say they want workplace flexibility, only a third report having it. There are big barriers to adopting and sustaining flexible workplace practices within an organization. We need to shift our focus from the “why” to the “how.”

To catch a thief, first document suspicions

03/18/2011

Employee theft is a big problem for some employers. Even so, don’t make the mistake of accusing someone unless you have solid evidence he is the culprit. Instead, document your suspicions and consider whether to call police or conduct your own investigation. Then, try to catch the thief in the act.

How to conduct effective and legal workplace investigations

03/18/2011
Eventually, every employer will have to investigate some sort of workplace concern. Whether because of a dispute between co-workers or a need to address unethical or unlawful behavior, workplace investigations are an important and delicate exercise. The following tips will help investigations produce useful results.