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HR Management

Toledo-area BP refinery hit with OSHA fines

04/05/2010
OSHA has levied more than $3 million in fines against BP North America and BP-Husky for violations at their plant in Oregon, Ohio. The fines result from a September 2009 inspection that revealed 42 willful violations of OSHA codes and 20 serious violations.

Vulgar e-mail: React differently if sent from home?

04/01/2010

Q. One of our employees sometimes sends offensive jokes to her fellow employees from her home e-mail account. We’re worried that someone may take offense and sue for racial or other harassment. What can we do if she’s sending this from home?

What are the top HR skills you need to succeed?

03/29/2010
A new Society for Human Resource Management survey of 2,000 HR professionals cites these as the top five competencies that senior HR leaders need to succeed today:

OSHA fines Western Pa. roofer following 2009 fatal fall

03/26/2010

A Pittsburgh-area roofing company must pay more than half a million dollars in federal fines following the accidental death of one of its employees last year. OSHA fined C.A. Franc Construction Co. for failing to protect workers from falling on its job sites.

Hiring bias alert: Beware smoking-gun e-mails

03/26/2010
Remind everyone involved in the hiring process: It’s much better to pick up the phone to discuss a candidate than it is to send an e-mail. E-mails can be recovered (and used as evidence in court); phone calls cannot.

Document and retain evidence that led to firing

03/26/2010
You never know which terminated employee will sue—or how long he might wait to do so. That’s why it’s important to document everything leading up to the termination. Then make it your policy to retain firing-related documents indefinitely.

Base health communication strategies on 5 behavioral quirks

03/19/2010

When researchers at HR consulting giant Towers Watson were compiling new stats on 2010 employer health care costs, they uncovered some fascinating findings from the world of behavioral economics that innovative employers are applying to their health communication efforts. As you look for ways to encourage employees to be active, informed consumers of the health benefits you offer, see how many you can incorporate into your own communication plans.

6 keys to help ‘accidental teleworkers’ keep the work flowing

03/18/2010

When the weather or another emergency turns your employees into accidental telecommuters, your organization will be better off if they’re prepared to work from home. Before the next weather emergency hits, develop systems and start training your employees to work productively from remote locations. Here are guidelines that have worked in organizations around the country:

Babies at work: Morale boost or productivity buster?

03/18/2010

The number of organizations with a babies-at-work benefit has more than doubled to 130 in the past two years, says the Parenting in the Workplace Institute. The key: Set clear guidelines. Find tips for creating a policy at www.theHRSpecialist.com/babies.

New online services give aid to résumé cheaters

03/17/2010

The Internet continues to make HR’s job of verifying résumé claims almost impossible. As job-seekers have become more desperate in the past year, a host of new online services have emerged that help applicants falsify their résumés.