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HR Management

Protecting computers from ex-employees

07/06/2009

Q. Is there anything I can do to deter employees from stealing or damaging computers after a termination?

Measure productivity loss when tallying up health costs

07/06/2009

Pull out your attendance records and a calculator to determine just how much productivity is suffering because of employee illness and poor health. Then find out what kinds of medical conditions are keeping employees from working at full capacity.

Delphi learns the hard way: Don’t mess with medical records

07/06/2009

Auto parts manufacturer Delphi has settled a suit with the EEOC alleging the company made prohibited medical inquiries into employees’ health and retaliated against staff who objected. Delphi required employees returning from sick leave to sign releases allowing the company to probe their medical records …

Even the best sexual harassment policy is useless without supervisor vigilance

07/06/2009

No sexual harassment policy will protect your company if what is going on in the cubicles or on the shop floor is blatantly offensive. It may not even matter that the offended or harassed employee didn’t follow your complaint policy and report the harassment to upper management. If she tried to talk to her immediate supervisor, that’s enough.

OSHA cites Wal-Mart for Black Friday death

07/06/2009

Black Friday had a double meaning at Wal-Mart’s Valley Stream, N.Y., store last year when temporary employee Jdimytai Damour, 34, was trampled to death by stampeding shoppers. OSHA investigated and levied the maximum permissible fine against the store, $7,000.

Live from SHRM: 7 rules to ‘bullet-proof’ your documentation

06/30/2009

Attorney Alison West thinks every HR pro should keep a pen and paper with them at all times. “It will help you get into the habit of documenting,” she said at the SHRM Conference in New Orleans. West believes documentation is crucial to keeping a workplace running right—ensuring fairness, promoting good performance and, most important, winning in court if an employee sues you.

Lessons from SHRM: Plaintiff’s lawyer reveals trade secrets HR pros need to know

06/30/2009

Want to know how to get under the skin of the lawyers who represent employees? Ask one. They won’t all cop to what sinks their cases, but this one did. Learn what she fears most when staring down an employer in court.

Track résumés: More applicants = more suits

06/26/2009

If you have a fairly informal application process, now’s the time to firm it up. The prolonged economic downturn means you’re receiving many more applications and résumés than normal. And that means more potential for lawsuits from unsuccessful job-seekers.

Office grapevine riper than ever? Aim for transparency

06/26/2009

More than half of HR professionals report that gossip and rumors have increased at their workplaces since the recession began, according to a SHRM study. And 23% say they’ve had to address more frequent “eavesdropping incidents.” The solution? The times call for stepped-up communication, says Steve Williams, director of research for SHRM. His suggestions:

HR decisions don’t have to be based on foolproof evidence—just good faith

06/26/2009

It’s emotionally difficult to terminate someone, especially in this economy. You may be tempted to drag out the process until you’re absolutely sure the employee broke a rule or committed a serious infraction. Don’t agonize unnecessarily about the decisions you have to make. As long as you act in good faith, you don’t have to be absolutely right about the underlying facts.