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HR Management

Cut prescription expenses by comparing prices online

02/01/2005
More independent Web sites now evaluate prices of generic and brand name drugs, as well as prices at online and brick-and-mortar pharmacies. Check the drug costs of your organization’s health plan, …

Keep rejected applications for three years

02/01/2005

Q. I read in your publication that if an applicant isn’t hired, we should retain the application for at least three years. I’ve heard elsewhere that applications should be kept for only one year beyond the date the position is filled. Have the rules changed? —S.C., Washington

Be prepared for new ‘green card’ design

02/01/2005
When completing I-9s this year, expect to receive a different-looking “green card” from some new hires. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently altered the design of the Permanent Resident …

Jobs must be ‘virtually identical’ (not similar) to bring equal-pay claim

02/01/2005
Don’t be afraid to set different salary levels for employees who hold the same title. Different pay for the same job title is fine as long as you can prove that …

Protect your company’s secrets … and take the credit

02/01/2005

Issue: U.S. employers lose nearly $60 billion each year due to trade-secret theft, but many still often overlook this risk.
Risk: Your organization can be ruined if competitors gain access …

You can set weekly vacation rule, but should you?

02/01/2005

Q. I know we’re allowed to tell employees which months they can’t take vacations, but can we also require that vacations be taken only by the week, and not in daily, hourly or half-day increments? —P.A., Nebraska

Check state law before deducting cost of lost tools

02/01/2005

Q. We want to start a policy that would deduct the cost of tools from employees’ final paychecks if the tools aren’t returned or if they’re returned damaged. Can we legally do this? —M.P., Kansas

Poke holes in your absence policy before a court does

02/01/2005
Issue: How consistently do you treat employee absences?
Risk: Many organizations’ attendance policies, inadvertently or not, include legally risky doublespeak.
Action: Examine your policy, looking for contradictions and inconsistencies …

Turn to temporary managers to fill gaps and cut costs

02/01/2005
Issue: Temporary managers and executives can fill a short-term void and save money in the long run.
Benefit: Filling the right positions with interim replacements can enhance your reputation as …

Trim your 401(k) expenses by knowing what’s ‘average’

02/01/2005
Issue: Paying higher-than-average administrative costs for your organization’s 401(k) plan.
Risk: Smaller companies unwittingly shell out bigger fees.
Action: Don’t take 401(k) fees at face value; shop around and …