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HR Management

Federal court asks N.Y. to rule on harassment

09/02/2009

New York City employers may soon have a definitive answer to a vexing question under the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL). The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals has asked the New York Court of Appeals to tell the federal court whether the NYCHRL permits employers to raise the affirmative defense available under U.S. Supreme Court sexual harassment rulings.

Military family leave: DOL regs spell out employee rights

09/02/2009

In January 2009, the DOL issued new FMLA regulations that incorporated the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008, which granted new leave rights to family members of employees in the military. The regulations, for the first time, defined what a “qualifying exigency” is under the law that entitles military families to take leave. Qualified exigencies are divided into seven categories:

Stop legal bait-and-switch by documenting, retaining copies of employee complaints

09/02/2009

Employees who engage in some form of protected activity—such as filing an EEOC complaint, participating in a discrimination case or complaining about possible discrimination to the company—are protected from retaliation for doing so. But often employees who complain about one thing end up suing on entirely different grounds …

Record of support for pregnant women, working moms helps win discrimination cases

09/02/2009

Employers that support pregnant and working mothers fare better if they do get sued by someone who believes she suffered pregnancy discrimination. That’s because courts are reluctant to believe that an organization would suddenly become biased after demonstrating a history of progressive policies for pregnant women and working mothers.

The 5 steps of progressive discipline

09/02/2009

A progressive discipline system is the best way to correct employee performance problems. It’s also the best way to protect against wrongful termination lawsuits. It allows you to ensure that any employee fired because of inferior performance was treated fairly and in accordance with your company’s policies. Here’s a five-step model for progressive discipline:

Employers preparing for swine flu’s second wave

09/02/2009

The World Health Organization raised the swine flu alert to its highest level, saying the H1N1 virus has reached global pandemic levels. Your best HR defense is a good offensive plan to handle the logistical and employment law issues …

Facebook costs employers 1.5% of productivity

08/31/2009

So says a new Nucleus Research study, which also estimates that nearly two-thirds of Facebook users access Facebook at work. On average, they spend 15 minutes on the site during work hours …

Ask the experts: How to be a true HR leader

08/31/2009

What does it take to jump the fence from your administrative role and be seen as a true leader in the company? The HR Specialist posed the following question to three of the leading HR thought leaders in America today: “What are the actions that a true HR leader takes to demonstrate leadership within an organization?” Their answers pointed to the following six actions:

9 keys: Convince top brass to support next year’s HR budget

08/31/2009
Ever had the C-Suite rubber-stamp your HR budget with nary a question or challenge? Neither has Valerie Grubb, a trainer, business coach and operations consultant. When budget time rolls around, she says, your most important job is explaining how HR contributes to the organization’s larger goals.

Can you learn HR lessons from Washington? Yes, you can

08/31/2009

First, set aside the stereotype that the federal bureaucracy is inherently dysfunctional. Sure, it’s got plenty of faults. But Uncle Sam’s best-run agencies can actually teach private-sector employers a thing or two about HR. Here are eight lessons employers can learn from the biennial agency-by-agency ranking of federal employers: