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HR Management

Don’t raise performance bar solely on workers taking FMLA

01/01/2003
Talk about a multimillion-dollar mistake. In a case that could spell a trend as more baby boomers care for aging parents, an Illinois federal jury awarded $11.65 million to a hospital …

Rein in abusive managers: Even ‘Flip Wilson’ claim sways jury

12/01/2002
You’d think that 12 jurors wouldn’t look kindly on an armed robber’s claim that job discrimination drove him to rob a convenience store with a sawed-off shotgun. But you would …

Job investigation won’t cause ‘mental distress.’

12/01/2002
A New York bank investigated a worker over forged signatures on her expense reports. It eventually fired her and escorted her from the premises. She sued the bank, saying the …

Offer Letters Are OK If Crafted With Care

12/01/2002

Q. Our company has typically sent formal offer letters to job candidates for certain positions. Could such letters legally bind us, and would we be smarter to avoid them? —S.T., Texas

What’s a ‘reasonable’ ADA accommodation? See new guide

12/01/2002
Federal law says companies with 15 or more workers have to provide “reasonable accommodations” to disabled workers, unless it would cause the company “undue hardship.” Newly updated guidelines from the Equal …

Inconsistent hiring sinks your defense

12/01/2002
Don’t leave the hiring and firing process up to your managers. Standardize your practices, and make sure everyone follows them. Giving any worker, especially a disabled one, the bum’s rush will …

You don’t have to police workplace banter, but don’t let it escalate

12/01/2002
On the production floor, Lisa Ocheltree had to listen to conversations between male co-workers about their sexual exploits, which included vulgar language. The men showed …

Prevent pro-union postings at work by limiting personal solicitations

12/01/2002
After a union launched an organizing campaign at an Arkansas hospital, a nurse put up a screen saver on a hospital computer that said “Look for the U.” Her supervisor gave …

Fix absentee problem; cost of no-shows is rising

12/01/2002
Stop throwing the same solutions at your employee absentee problem. Reason: Per-employee absence costs have reached an all-time high of $789 this year, up from $610 just two years ago, according …

Dress codes: Strip away discrimination, ‘uniform’ dangers

12/01/2002
If your business is image-driven, now’s the time to take a closer look at how you regulate employee appearance. Reason: An increasing number of lawsuits are successfully challenging employers’ dress-code policies. …