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HR Management

Don’t ignore ergonomics: Risks remain, OSHA can still fine

08/01/2003
Issue: Repetitive-stress injuries didn’t disappear just because OSHA’s mandatory rules were repealed.
Risk: Ergonomic injuries hurt productivity and, surprisingly, you’re still vulnerable to government penalties …

Look to local colleges for training

08/01/2003
Issue: Community colleges provide high-quality employee training at a reasonable cost.
Benefit: Employees learn new skills and feel more loyal to your organization …

Don’t make promises the company might not keep

07/01/2003
Issue: Courts will make your company follow through on oral promises you make about benefits.
Risk: You or an ill-informed manager could inadvertently force your company to provide benefits it …

Don’t put too much stock in initial staff surveys

07/01/2003
If you’ve just started surveying employees about job satisfaction and workplace improvements, the first surveys will show unusually low scores. That’s because employees have lots of pent-up negative comments if they’ve …

Establish a company policy on e-mail deletion, retention

07/01/2003
In spite of growing scrutiny from courts and regulators, most employers still do a poor job of managing e-mail business records and preparing for the likelihood …

Blocking junk e-mail: 5 online resources

07/01/2003
Unsolicited e-mail (“spam”) wastes employee time, slows your network and creates legal liabilities. Here are five resources to help you block it out: Spam calculator, www.cmsconnect.com/ marketing/spamcalc.htm, lets you calculate spam’s …

Keep data on employees’ race separate

07/01/2003

Q. We have all new employees fill out a data sheet. Is it OK to ask for race on this form? —J.M., Nevada

You don’t need I-9 forms for pre-1986 hires

07/01/2003

Q. We have a few employees who started working for us more than 20 years ago, before the I-9 rules took effect. I don’t have an I-9 on file for these folks. Should I? —S.I., New York

Pursue harassment claims, even if complaining worker backs off

07/01/2003
You know to investigate harassment complaints when they land on your desk. But what if the complaining employee shows a lack of interest in her initial complaint, …

Multistate businesses: Standardize your policies and supervisor training

07/01/2003
If your company has policies on job transfers or resignations (and it should), make sure they are clearly articulated and strictly followed by managers …