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

HR Management

NLRB ruling revisited: Can employees really trash you on Facebook?

04/05/2011
Don’t read too much into the NLRB’s recent “Facebook rant” ruling. Despite much employer hand-wringing, the decision didn’t give employees a free pass on social media posts. They still don’t have license to defame, disparage or otherwise trash their company, management, product or co-workers. Here’s why.

Hey, boss, you’d better call HR! Warn managers: Don’t fix complaints informally

04/05/2011

When supervisors hear someone complaining about sexual or other harassment, they may be tempted to blow it off as a distraction or tell the co-workers involved to stop it. That’s not good enough. To prevent a successful employee lawsuit, you must impress on first-line supervisors and managers that it’s their responsibility to report any sexual harassment complaint to HR or other appropriate company official.

Benchmark your career site against the Top 25

03/30/2011
A new CareerXroads study identifies the top 5% of Fortune 500 companies that use their web sites to target, engage, inform and respect the privacy of job candidates. Find links to every site here.

Pattern of strict enforcement helps win harassment cases

03/29/2011
A strictly enforced anti-harassment policy can counter an employee’s argument that she didn’t use the system because she believed it would not help.

Head off problem employees’ retaliation suits: Document all decision-making as it happens

03/29/2011

Guess which of your employees are among the most likely to file a discrimination complaint, request ADA accommodations or ask for FMLA leave. Those who know they’re in trouble at work. They think that by doing so, they’ll make you think twice before discharging them. If that doesn’t keep you from firing them, guess what happens next.

Harassment ‘cure’ can’t burden employee more

03/29/2011

Employers have an obligation to stop illegal harassment as quickly as possible. But jumping at the first apparent solution may not be the best way to go. First, consider whether the proposed fix makes things worse for the victim. If it does, you’ll need to take another approach.

Consider all options: When co-worker harasses, termination isn’t the only way to avoid liability

03/25/2011

The key to handling any kind of harassment case involving co-workers is to immediately investigate the allegations and follow up with solutions designed to stop the mis­behavior. But those solutions don’t always have to include terminating the har­assing co-worker. Suspensions, training and other remedial actions may be enough …

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?