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HR Management

Encourage ethical behavior as economy recovers

12/18/2009

This recession seems to have an upside: Employees are behaving better. Don’t get too excited; the uptick in ethical behavior is probably temporary. Still, HR pros and organizational leaders can try to keep the upswing going. The best way to do that is to make creating an ethical culture a business priority. Here are a few recommendations:

When should we request fitness-for-duty exam?

12/18/2009

Q. One of our employees recently told her supervisor that she has a heart condition. She went home early the other day because she wasn’t feeling well. Can we request that she get a doctor’s note clearing her to work?

Document your concern about employee before ordering a fitness-for-duty exam

12/17/2009

The ADA prohibits employers from demanding fitness-for-duty exams unless the exams are “job related and consistent with business necessity.” Employers can demand an exam if they have a reasonable belief that an employee’s medical condition will impair his or her ability to perform essential job functions or will pose a safety threat. If you believe either is the case, document your objective and reasonable beliefs before demanding the exam.

As boomers gray, savvy employers could see silver lining

12/16/2009

In 2011, the first of the baby boom generation will turn 65. As the rest of the roughly 70 million baby boomers follow, we’ll see a major shift in the age of our society—and our workforces. To survive and thrive in the face of these new demographic realities, employers will need to retain employees well older than the traditional retirement age of 65. Here are some areas on which employers will need to focus to help retain older workers:

Keep the faith: You can accommodate religions in the workplace

12/15/2009

Two employees ask their boss to ax the company Christmas tree. A worker refuses to trim his dreadlocks, saying they are essential to his practice of Rastafari. A cashier insists she has a right to tell customers, “Have a blessed day.” Those cases have all wound up being tried in court. Employers can’t treat employees differently because of their religion, but that doesn’t mean religious accommodation is easy.

Supreme Court to decide: Are employees’ personal text messages private?

12/15/2009

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear a case that could settle the contentious issue of whether employers have a right to read personal text messages employees send using employer-provided equipment and bandwidth. It’s yet another bump in the evolving landscape of employee use of technology at work (the topic, by the way, of this week’s HR Specialist webinar, "Employees Online: Social Media at Work").

What to do when execs undermine your HR policies

12/10/2009

Q. “For years, we’ve granted two employees—a married couple—extra unpaid leave for vacations. We recently notified employees that additional time off would no longer be given. But the owner sees no problem making an exception for this couple, even while other employees have to live with the new rule. How should I handle this?” Readers of The HR Specialist Forum weighed in with answers:

12 trends to watch as 2010 economy rebounds

12/09/2009

The cost cutting and headcount reductions might not be over yet, but as the economy begins its slow recovery, HR pros are reporting fewer layoffs, a renewed focus on retention—and even a talk of pay raises! Still, the flush workplace of 2006 isn’t likely to rush back into vogue. Here are 12 lingering adjustments—all with comp and benefits implications—that could outlast the recession:

Do you need a ‘no forwarding’ e-mail policy?

12/09/2009

Here’s a potential electronic communications problem you may not have considered. An employee who forwards e-mail from a company computer and e-mail account to his personal address may end up using those e-mails later in litigation against the company. That’s one reason it makes sense to prohibit employees from forwarding e-mails to their personal e-mail accounts.

Can we prohibit employees from receiving private packages at work?

12/09/2009

Q. Over the holidays, many of our employees received packages at the office. We are worried that this might be a disruption. Should we ban employees from receiving personal packages at work?