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HR Management

Don’t deduct training costs from ex-Employee’s pay

05/01/2005

Q. As part of our new employees’ noncompete contracts, we’ve started including a clause that requires employees to repay the company (through payroll deduction) for training costs if they quit or are fired within one year. Are we OK legally? —S.M., Kentucky

Make sure the employee is qualified before approving an FMLA request

04/01/2005
Take extra time to review an employee’s eligibility and certification for FMLA leave at the time of the request, not later.
As a new court ruling shows, employers who approve …

Run background checks, even for top-dog positions

04/01/2005
Buyer beware: If you don’t probe deeply into job candidates’ backgrounds, you’re in the minority these days.
In fact, 80 percent of employers polled in a new Society for Human …

Workplace notices: Are your labor-law posters out of date?

04/01/2005
THE LAW. The U.S. Labor Depart-ment and each state government require employers to post certain employment-law information that ex-plains employees’ rights and responsibilities. You also must make sure your federal and …

Warn managers not to hire on ‘gut instinct’ alone

04/01/2005
Issue: Establishing quantifiable criteria for making hiring decisions.
Risk: Applicants have an easier time winning hiring-bias lawsuits if they can point to weaknesses in your stated reasons for hiring.
…

Do your ideas pass the bottom-line test?

04/01/2005
To propose the most compelling time- or cost-saving ideas, first analyze them like the CEO does.

Remind managers: Don’t elicit secrets in interviews

04/01/2005
You’re legally protected if job candidates voluntarily spill the beans about their employers’ secrets, such as customer lists and manufacturing methods. But warn hiring managers to avoid asking questions aimed at …

Union, no! Less reason to fear union-organizing campaigns

04/01/2005
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says union membership fell to 12.5 percent of all U.S. employees last year, down from 12.9 percent in 2003. That’s the lowest percentage of union …

Quiet ringing phones and ‘cell yell’ in workplace

04/01/2005
Workplaces are increasingly being disrupted by the ringing of personal cell phones and employees engaged in high-volume wireless talking (“cell yell”). As a result, more employers are establishing policies on when …

Reach out to older applicants via new AARP program

04/01/2005
AARP, the nation’s largest organization for seniors, launched an online effort last month to help employers recruit older employees. Participating businesses will pay a fee, based on the number of employees, …