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HR Management

OSHA plans ‘radical change’ to workplace noise standards

11/23/2010

With little fanfare, OSHA last month said it’s considering what employer groups are calling a “radical change” to employer obligations regarding workers’ exposure to occupational noise. “The announcement may have been quiet, but the impacts could be loud,” says a report by the Nixon Peabody law firm. “If adopted in their current form, the new obligations will be substantial and the potential cost to employers is likely to be immense.”

Federal employees lead pack in race to end distracted driving

11/23/2010

When OSHA launched Drive Safely Work Week in October, employees of the federal government were already in the driver’s seat. President Obama signed an executive order last year prohibiting federal employees from texting while driving. This fall, OSHA called on all employers to do the same for their employees.

Housing problems overtake child care as No. 1 EAP request

11/22/2010
For the first time, troubles related to housing and moving are the most popular subject of employees’ calls to employee assistance programs, says EAP provider ComPsych.

Firing worker for Facebook rant: Is it illegal?

11/22/2010

In what could be a groundbreaking case, the National Labor Relations Board filed an unfair labor practice complaint last month against a Connecticut company that fired a worker who complained about her supervisor on Facebook. This is the first case in which the NLRB has argued that workers’ criticisms on social networking sites are protected activity.

Can our harassment policy penalize false claims?

11/19/2010
Q. Can we implement a provision on our sexual harassment policy that imposes discipline on employees who bring false harassment claims?

Cal/OSHA fires back at federal OSHA critique

11/19/2010
The federal OSHA says California’s occupational safety and health program is deficient. The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) disagrees—although officials admit there’s always room for improvement.

Conducting online background checks? Beware the pitfalls

11/16/2010
Online tools can be highly valuable in recruiting and selecting the best candidates and screening out bad hires. Despite the potential advantages, those activities come with potential employment law risks that are still evolving due to the relatively recent emergence and growth of social media. Some of the obvious and not-so-obvious legal risks:

Is it really a policy if it’s not in your handbook?

11/16/2010
One reason employers have handbooks is to protect themselves from surprise allegations of harassment. Without a handbook, they are left with having to show that employees knew how to complain. That’s tough if there’s no documentation that you told them how.

Help wanted: Benefits experts to demystify health law

11/16/2010
If you fancy yourself an expert on implementing the new health care law, now may be the time to test the employment waters. As Jack Welch, former CEO of GE, noted last month: “People are dying to get talent that can deal with this health care law.”

11 steps help make flexible work a success

11/15/2010
The DOL’s Women’s Bureau has started what it calls “a national dialogue on workplace flexibility,” and the agency is pushing employers to focus more on the work/life benefits of flex. Here are 11 steps you can take to make flex programs more successful—making work/life balance easier for your employees and improving your overall business operations: