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HR Management

Employ teens? Review new list
of ‘too dangerous’ positions

02/01/2005
The U.S. Labor Department unveiled new limitations on the type of responsibilities you can hand teen employees in certain industries. The new regulations, which take effect Feb. 14, revise child-labor rules …

Disaster relief: Go online for best donation info, sources

02/01/2005
As parts of south Asia struggle to recover from the Dec. 26 tsunami, U.S. companies began mobilizing in huge numbers to send money and supplies.
Among the examples: Posting letters …

Stop regular e-mail purges if a legal complaint flares up

02/01/2005
Issue: Your policy of periodically deleting business e-mail.
Risk: Courts could penalize your organization if it deletes e-mail messages that relate to a potential lawsuit.
Action: Alert IT to …

Tap into new generation of low-cost online training tools

02/01/2005
Issue: Many HR departments can’t afford e-training and education programs.
Benefit: Using basic, inexpensive do-it-yourself training tools, you can cut costs and earn praise for your big-picture thinking.
Action: …

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