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

HR Management

The truth about employee wellness … and 7 ways to get workers to take it seriously

07/12/2010

Want your employees to take more responsibility for improving and protecting their health? Examine how you communicate with them about their benefits, says a new report from the Midwest Business Group on Health. Here are seven major findings from its new research, along with tips on using the information to trigger employee participation in wellness programs:

When you learn of possible harassment, investigate promptly, take fast action

07/09/2010

Employers that act fast when an employee complains about any form of harassment can almost always salvage what would otherwise be a very bad situation. The key is prompt investigation—followed by equally fast and decisive action if it turns out the complaint has merit.

Are there special requirements for training employees who do not speak English well?

07/09/2010
Q. Our company recently hired some employees who do not speak English as their first language. What are our obligations in training these employees?

Retain e-mails after receiving EEOC complaint

07/09/2010

When sued, employers must preserve all evidence in their possession that may concern the lawsuit and its underlying claims. That means that as soon as you receive an EEOC complaint, you should issue a litigation hold directing the retention of all electronic communications, such as e-mails. Don’t let employees make their own decisions about which e-mails they should keep.

New Yorkers’ per capita state tax burden holds steady

07/08/2010
New Yorkers paid the 7th highest rate of per capita state taxes in the country in 2009, according to the taxpayers’ watchdog web site Taxadmin.org. New York had the 11th highest state tax burden in 2008.

When spices, dogs and employees don’t mix, what should we do?

07/08/2010
Q. An employee recently came to us with a unique request for a reasonable accommodation. She has a dangerous allergic reaction to paprika, and uses a service dog to warn her whenever the spice is nearby. We granted her request to bring her service dog to work. Subsequently, another employee complained that she is severely allergic to dogs. What should we do?

Are we in trouble? We just demanded that one of our employees lose weight

07/08/2010
Q. I own a restaurant where we require the waitresses to wear revealing outfits. Recently, we placed an employee on a probationary period as a result of her having gained weight. We advised her that if she did not lose 10 pounds in 60 days, we would terminate her employment. Have we done anything illegal?

After poor-performing worker complains about e-mail, should we follow through on plans to fire?

07/08/2010
Q. Admittedly, this is an odd-ball question. My HR department just received a complaint from an employee about risqué e-mails that some of her co-workers were trading back and forth. Coincidentally, the employee who complained is also slotted for termination because of poor performance and attendance problems. Is there any risk in terminating this employee in light of her recent complaint?

Use social networks to your advantage in employment disputes

07/08/2010

I’ve long preached that employees should not enjoy an expectation of privacy in information they voluntarily place on the Internet, including social networks like Facebook. Now according to one federal court in Indiana, it is also fair game for employers to use social networking information when they have to defend against harassment and discrimination lawsuits.

New anti-drug initiative could reduce your WC premiums

07/08/2010
A new drug-abuse prevention program promises significant savings on workers’ compensation premiums for Ohio employers that agree to participate in it. The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation’s Drug-Free Safety Program allows Ohio employers to opt into the program—which requires drug and alcohol education, testing and accident reporting—in exchange for discounts on workers’ comp insurance.