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HR Management

Planning for the worst: Implementing a workplace violence policy

11/08/2010
You can’t predict the behavior of your employees, clients and all their associates. You can’t anticipate every possible danger. But the law dictates that you, as the employer, have a “duty of care” to keep all individuals in your workplace safe from dangers you can reasonably anticipate. To do that, you need to evaluate potential dangers and formulate an appropriate action plan.

Use hotline to receive employee complaints, prove when litigation clock started ticking

11/08/2010

Courts increasingly insist that employees meet deadlines for filing EEOC or other discrimination complaints. The law allows employees just a short period of time to start the lawsuit process after an employer’s adverse decision. Smart employers have systems that precisely track internal complaints. With those in place, employers can more easily argue that the employee waited too long to sue.

Establish zero-tolerance policy on violence and threats–but don’t count on backup from courts

11/08/2010

The almost universal employer response to increased workplace violence has been the implementation of so-called zero-tolerance policies. The problem with zero-tolerance rules is that they only work if they’re uniformly enforced. Employers can’t pick and choose which employee’s behavior violates the policy. To do so invites legal trouble, as the following case shows.

Disabled or injured workers ready to return? Here’s how to help

11/05/2010
Employees may be absent from work for extended periods of time because of illness or injury. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy recently released an online “Return to Work Toolkit” that serves as a one-stop portal to numerous free, online resources for employers and employees coping with return-to-work issues.

Cut your retaliation risk: Make sure training is open to everyone who’s eligible

11/05/2010

Employees who experience retaliation after complaining about bias can sue and win, even if it turns out there was no basis for the original discrimination complaint. The retaliation doesn’t even have to be something serious such as a demotion or firing. It can be something as subtle as lost training opportunities.

No employee handbook or written policy? Good luck proving you take harassment seriously

11/05/2010
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.

How to sell your HR projects to the CFO

11/05/2010
While planning new HR initiatives and making your HR budget projects for 2011, don’t forget to factor in one crucial aspect: Convincing your chief financial officer to back your proposals. You can improve your chances of securing CFO support by using the following information to improve your presentations.

Deluged with résumés? How to be a speed weeder

11/02/2010
Reading every word on every résumé simply isn’t a luxury HR professionals can afford. If you quickly scan résumés, however, you probably live in constant fear of discarding potential winners. Advice: Spot-read résumés during the first round to determine if they merit a more detailed review.

6 ways to network on LinkedIn

11/02/2010
What’s the best way to get a job right now? Networking. What’s the best way to network? According to many experts, via LinkedIn.com. The online service offers innovative ways to interact professionally with colleagues and build your web of contacts and connections. Here are six ways LinkedIn can advance your career.

It’s time to review and revise your employee handbook

11/01/2010

Make this your New Year’s resolution: Go through your employee handbook to make sure all the information is accurate and up-to-date, reflects how your organization really does business and fully complies with the law. It’s important to regularly review and revise employee handbooks because having an out-of-date handbook may be more dangerous than not having one at all.