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HR Management

New exemption definitions aren’t retroactive

06/01/2004

Q. If, according to the revised Labor Department regulations, we’ve been improperly classifying certain employees, would we need to go back and reimburse them? At that time, we thought they were properly classified. —Becky, Texas

To keep noncompetes legal, include fair restrictions

06/01/2004
Issue: Noncompete agreements are more easily signed than enforced. Risk: One sure way to crush your noncompete’s legality is to include overly restrictive time and geographical limits. Action: Make …

Federal contractors: Post ‘Beck’ notice in workplace

06/01/2004
The Labor Department issued final rules last month requiring federal contractors to post notices that inform employees of certain union rights under the Supreme Court’s Communi-cation Workers v. Beck case. Essen-tially, …

Camera phones at work: Shoot down this latest legal threat

06/01/2004
Camera phones now make up more than 4 percent of all worldwide cell phone sales. By 2007, more than half of all cell phones will be equipped with cameras, and cell …

Don’t accept 401(k) fees; renegotiate annually

06/01/2004
Issue: Competition remains tight among 401(k) providers, federal scrutiny is rising, and the stock market is trending up. Benefit: You’ll enjoy improved negotiating clout …

Crank up volume on ‘no music piracy’ message to staff

06/01/2004
Issue: The recording industry is increasing the legal heat on illegal downloads, and the businesses that allow it to occur at work. Risks: Musicians can sue for up to $150,000 …

Notify employees if tracking them via GPS

06/01/2004
A small but growing number of employers use global positioning systems (GPS) to track employees. By 2006, most new cars will include GPS systems, as will cell phones. Advice: You already …

Hiring drivers? Collect more background information

06/01/2004
Organizations that hire commercial drivers must now collect, and provide to other employers, more details from their driver applicants.
Reason: The U.S. Transportation Department’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) …

Interviewing: Sharpen skills to stamp out hiring bias

06/01/2004
THE LAW. Job interviews are a legal minefield for HR people and managers. Your questions must avoid stepping on federal and state equal employment laws that ban discrimination on the basis …

Preserve at-will rights by ditching your employee probation period

06/01/2004
If your employee handbook or job-offer letters say new hires will face a 60- or 90-day probation period, you should consider dropping that policy or, at the very least, referring to …