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HR Management

Creating a drug-free workplace: How to draft a policy, conduct legal tests

05/11/2010

It’s in your best interest to detect employee drug abuse early and root it out immediately. But that’s easier said than done. Keeping your workplace drug-free means knowing how to spot the problem and effectively respond to it—without violating employees’ legal rights and creating legal liability.

Cracking the password code (and keeping others from cracking yours)

05/11/2010
Can you guess what the most common online password is? Actually, you probably can. Find out what passwords not to use, and how to create one that’s easy for you to remember and hard for others to guess.

12 manager mistakes that spark lawsuits

05/11/2010

Most lawsuits against employers don’t start with some outrageous injustice. More often, a simple management mistake or a perceived slight starts the snowball of discontent rolling downhill toward the courtroom. Here are 12 of the biggest mistakes managers make. They can all lead to litigation—and kill your credibility in court.

Policy alone isn’t enough: Take the next steps to stamp out harassment

05/10/2010

Sexual harassment cases aren’t going away. Employers that don’t take such harassment seriously put their companies in peril. It isn’t enough to come up with a policy. You must also train employees at every level about that policy and explain where harassment victims can go for help. Then you have to follow through and promptly investigate harassment claims. Finally, you must make sure your response is good enough to end the harassment.

Lone Star State tax burden remains steady

05/06/2010
Texas residents had one of the nation’s lowest per capita tax rates in 2009, according to the watchdog web site Taxadmin.org. Texas ranked 46th in state per capita taxes in 2009, up two slots from 48th in 2008.

5 tips to avoid this summer’s legal hazards

05/04/2010
Different seasons usher in different employment law risks. Employment law firm Fisher & Phillips offers this five-point to-do list to get ready for the coming summer months.

What has four legs and hurts your employees every day?

05/04/2010
Even for office workers who exercise regularly, spending most of the day sitting increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. Here are four easy ways your employees—and you—can beat that deadly workplace peril: the chair.

Tighten up your attendance policy or risk unemployment comp hit

05/04/2010

Here’s added incentive to have crystal-clear attendance policies: Employees who are terminated for violating unclear or confusing attendance rules may end up collecting unemployment compensation. Here’s why: In many states, former employees can successfully argue that they were terminated through no fault of their own if they can show that the attendance policy was difficult to understand and comply with.

Stealing employee passwords as easy as 1-2-3…4-5

05/03/2010
A new report by Internet-security firm Imperva says “123456” is the most common computer password, followed by “12345”, “123456789” and “password.” The report analyzed 32 million passwords recently exposed during the breach of an online retailer.

5 steps for getting beyond comp & benefits benchmarks

04/30/2010
I get nervous when HR professionals use benchmarks as their primary criteria to determine how much to pay employees or spend on benefits. My proposal: Put less stock in external benchmarks, and figure out what your company needs to attract and retain high-quality employees. Then devise a strategy to get what you need. Here are five ideas to consider: