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HR Management

Create an IM policy to improve productivity, data security

10/01/2004
Issue: Instant messaging, or IM, has become the communication tool of choice in many companies. Risk: Too many employees use IM for unauthorized …

Base Taking-Work-Home policy on security and job needs

10/01/2004

Q. Is there any legal precedent or other justification for not allowing public employees to create work-related documents on their home computers? —J.R., Alabama

Free workplace-violence training

10/01/2004
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has released a 27-minute training video that offers practical ways for businesses to identify …

Benchmark your benefits; costs take biggest jump since ’90

10/01/2004
Issue: It’s more important than ever to know if you’re budgeting too much, too little or the right amount for employee benefits. Risk: By ignoring industry …

Set tight time limits for keeping job applications

10/01/2004

Q. Our employment application states, “This application will remain active for six months.” Is this time frame advisable? How long should applications remain active? And how long should I keep completed applications? —K.S., Minnesota

Starting to hire again? Heed new-hire reporting rules

10/01/2004
Issue: Federal and state laws require you to file certain data about new employees. Risk: Many employers overlook those requirements, risking per-employee …

Are you doing enough to stop employee identity theft?

10/01/2004
Your employee records are a gold mine for identity thieves. How should you secure them? A new Society for Human Resource Management survey says 95 percent …

Rid absence policy of risky doublespeak

10/01/2004
Re-examine your absence policy, paying special attention to identify clauses that attach varying conditions on whom the policy applies to and when it applies.
Plaintiffs’ attorneys and courts will poke …

‘Use-it-or-lose-it’ vacation policy usually legal, but check state law

10/01/2004
If you have a vague (or nonexistent) vacation policy, you’re simply asking for a lawsuit. That’s why it’s important to make sure your organization clearly spells out whether employees can roll …

Accommodate religious requests; don’t argue ‘sincerity’ of beliefs

10/01/2004
Federal anti-discrimination law says you must offer reasonable accommodations to employees’ “sincerely held religious beliefs or practices,” as long as the accommodation wouldn’t place an undue hardship on your organization. But …