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HR Management

Free daily lunches help retain staff

09/05/2008

Employees of

Copanion

in Andover, Mass., rarely go out for lunch. Instead, they enjoy catered meals every day—right at work. Employees eat and talk together in the company’s two lunchrooms … 

100% of employees participate in wellness program at tech firm

09/05/2008

At Dynamic Edge in Ann Arbor, Mich., everyone takes part in the company’s wellness program. To keep participation high, the tech support firm lets its 35 employees earn a point for every 15 minutes they spend exercising. An employee who earns 150 points receives a $100 check toward a gym membership …

Budget for lower health cost growth in ’09

09/05/2008

Health care costs are expected to increase on average 10.6% in the next 12 months, the lowest percentage increase since 2001. That’s what Aon Consulting Worldwide found when it surveyed more than 70 health care insurers, representing more than 100 million insured individuals …

Appeal to older workers with these 4 health plan ‘Extras’

09/05/2008

Health care coverage becomes increasingly important to employees as they get older. If you’re courting mature, experienced workers to join your team—or if you want to retain the ones you have—you might need to tweak your health benefits so they appeal more to over-50 employees. Here are four health-related perks that could help you seal the deal …

Don’t tell supervisors to expect subordinate bigotry

09/03/2008

Here’s a way to create management problems and encourage potential lawsuits: Just tell minority managers and supervisors that they can expect their subordinates to harass them and ignore directives because of prejudice in the ranks.  The correct approach: Have a solid anti-harassment policy in place and enforce it …

Tale of two cases: How to avoid costly FMLA and ADA mistakes

09/03/2008
Two recent cases exemplify how easy it is for an unaware and unprepared employer to run afoul of employment laws. In one, an employer’s handbook promised more benefits than the law required the company to provide. In another, the employer transferred a disabled employee apparently just to ease a supervisor’s discomfort with dealing with a disabled staff member …

Madison Square Garden suit hinges on alleged background check bias

09/03/2008

Do criminal background checks lead to bias? The EEOC will have to weigh that question when it investigates discrimination charges filed against Madison Square Garden by Charlene Clarke. Clarke, a black woman from the Bronx, accepted a food worker position at The Garden in September 2007. One month later, the arena withdrew its offer after Clarke’s background check revealed a misdemeanor assault charge …

8 strategies: Make flex plans work for you

09/02/2008
Your organization wouldn’t offer flexible work arrangements such as flextime and compressed workweeks if management didn’t believe the benefits outweighed the costs. Yet surveys show that few organizations have formal and consistent policies in place to manage their flex programs.

Porn on PCs: How far must you go to block it?

09/02/2008
Perhaps because controlling Internet access to pornographic images isn’t technically difficult, and because word tends to get around pretty quickly if a co-worker is showing porn to co-workers, courts now are clamping down more on employers that don’t do enough to make sure the workplace is not a sexual cesspool …

Tell drivers: No passengers allowed on trips that cross state lines

09/02/2008
Does your company employ drivers who cross state lines? If so, make sure they understand they cannot take passengers with them. Here’s why: In the event of an accident, the rider may sue, alleging that since the company allowed her to ride along, the company is responsible for any injuries caused by the driver’s negligence …