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HR Management

Can we require ‘English-only’ at work? Foreign-language chatter is affecting morale

06/16/2011
Q. Some of our employees speak to each other in their native language. We are worried that some workers will feel excluded. To boost employee morale, we would like to institute a policy prohibiting our workers from speaking any language other than English during the workday. Is such a policy legal?

Cal/OSHA puts heat on contractor after flash fire injures welder

06/16/2011
The California Division of Occu­pa­tional Safety and Health has fined a public works contractor more than $235,000—and threatened to put it out of business and criminally prosecute executives—after a welder suffered severe burns in a workplace flash fire.

Owner, foreman get jail time for worker’s fatal plummet

06/16/2011
A California court has sentenced a company owner and a foreman to a year in jail for allowing unsafe working conditions that led to a roofer’s accidental death.

Tell staff: Break data rules, risk prosecution

06/16/2011

When explaining your computer-use policy, make sure employees understand they may be criminally prosecuted if they violate the rules and gain access to information they have no business reading. That should make them think twice about obtaining confidential in­­for­ma­tion and passing it on to the competition.

The great 8: Smart tips from the ‘best places to work’

06/16/2011
Is your organization a “great place” to work? Every year, the employers that are bestowed that title seem to consistently include companies that provide creative HR practices in areas such as perks, benefits and worker management. Some of the leading ideas:

Time to post Florida’s new minimum-wage poster

06/15/2011

No doubt, you already raised hourly pay for your minimum-wage employees. The new Florida rate took affect on June 1, 2011, and raised the minimum wage to $7.31 per hour. That’s just a few cents more than the federal rate of $7.25. But have you put up the new poster in a conspicuous place?

Quiz for managers: Documenting discipline the legal way

06/14/2011

If an employee ever sues, you need to have strong documentation of performance, behavior and discipline issues. Managers sit on the front lines of the documentation battlefield. Have your supervisors take our quiz to test their knowledge of documentation do’s and don’ts. Plus, learn three documentation rules every manager must know.

Build a bonus plan for an economy on the mend

06/14/2011

After two years of painful payroll reductions, some employers are considering pay raises. In many organizations, pay hikes will come in the form of variable compensation plans. Experts say these two tactics can help HR pros create variable pay plans that strike a balance between risk, reward and fiscal stability.

If you needed legal advice on an employment law issue, what would you do?

06/14/2011
When HR Weekly readers and users of www.theHRSpecialist.com need employment law advice, they don’t look for just any old lawyer.

To catch a thief: First document suspicion, then respond evenhandedly

06/14/2011

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 or she is the culprit. Instead, document your suspicions and consider whether to call police or conduct your own investigation. Then, if possible, try to catch the thief in the act.