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HR Management

Workplace injuries and illnesses fall to lowest level on record

12/01/2007

Good news for your organization, employees and workers’ comp costs: U.S. workplace injury/illness rates have fallen to their lowest point since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking those numbers in 1972 …

Nuclear plant whistle-Blower terminated, then sues

12/01/2007

An engineer at a Georgia nuclear plant was terminated and escorted from the plant after he filed a complaint about plant safety with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The engineer filed the complaint after a valve at the plant became stuck, affecting the plant’s ability to control the nuclear reaction …

Workplace genetic testing raises discrimination concerns

12/01/2007

Advances in genetic research have renewed attention on the workplace implications of genetic testing. Genetic research has many potential benefits. But there is growing concern that employers with access to genetic information may use it to discriminate …

Safely serving alcohol at company parties

12/01/2007

Q. I’m an HR director and I’m planning our company’s holiday party. What is our liability as the host if we serve alcohol?

HR pros, take note: Doing your job isn’t ‘Protected activity’

12/01/2007

Employees whose jobs involve telling their employers that they may be violating laws aren’t necessarily protected from retaliation under North Carolina law or under the federal Title VII—if the reporting concerns areas covered by the Civil Rights Act or the Fair Labor Standards Act …

Survey says half of refineries as dangerous as BP Texas City

12/01/2007

According to a recent survey, the same kinds of conditions that preceded a deadly March 2005 accident at BP Products North America’s Texas City refinery are pervasive in refineries across the nation. The survey polled union leaders at 51 refineries, representing 49% of the U.S. refining capacity …

8 ways to kill HR credibility … and tips to avoid them

12/01/2007

Lose your credibility and you lose your career. Credibility is the most important predictor of an HR professional’s effectiveness, according to the 2007 Human Resource Competency Study (HRCS) by The RBL Group leadership firm. Here are eight key ways to diminish or destroy your credibility …

Wage-and-Hour compliance: How to win the numbers game

12/01/2007

Have you or any of your organization’s supervisors ever given the go-ahead to hourly employees to work through lunch so they could leave work an hour early for a special occasion? Sure you have. Who hasn’t? But know this: Every time you do it, you’re probably breaking the law …

Train managers: Don’t tell customers why employee was fired

12/01/2007

Some things are better left unsaid. That’s especially true when it comes to telling customers and others outside the company why someone was fired—especially if the reason involves dishonesty. Spilling the beans can lead to a slander lawsuit, which can cost your organization time and money even if you ultimately win …

New Jersey’s anti-Discrimination law has long reach

12/01/2007

You may think that the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD) applies only to your role as an employer. You would be wrong. In fact, the NJLAD may affect other aspects of your organization’s business activities. As the following case shows, even refusing to do business with another company can lead to discrimination litigation …