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HR Management

Outsource strategically; don’t follow the crowd

11/01/2003
Issue: More organizations are jumping into outsourcing, but many aren’t impressed with the results. Risk: Farming out the wrong functions can actually lower HR efficiency. Action: Determine which functions …

Brush up on dental benefits: DR plans growing

11/01/2003
Issue: Direct reimbursement (DR) dental plans are becoming more popular.
Benefit: DR plans can slash your dental-plan admin costs. You can even eliminate the middleman …

Immigration law: How to walk the line with the I-9

11/01/2003
THE LAW. The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986 makes it your responsibility to hire only people who can legally work in the United States. That includes U.S. …

Personnel Files: How Separate Must They Be?

11/01/2003

Q. In a previous issue you said employers “must keep certain records separate from personnel files.” What, specifically, does “separate” mean—in separate drawers of the same file cabinet? In separate offices? How far apart do they need to be? —T.S., Illinois

It’s OK to discipline employees for public displays of affection

11/01/2003
If employees’ on-site amorous actions are making you or their co-workers uncomfortable, don’t be afraid to tell the lovebirds to withhold their romance for more private, off-premise moments. Courts will likely …

Pay attention to telecommuters’ health and safety risks

11/01/2003
Companies may be expanding their use of telecommuters, but they’re all but ignoring many of the health and safety issues involved.
That’s the message from experts at a recent National …

Nonunion firms: Acquaint yourselves with labor-relations law

11/01/2003
Your organization isn’t unionized, so you shouldn’t care about the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), right?
Wrong! The NLRA applies to all employers, including nonunion ones. And the law’s impact …

Take ‘same race’ bias complaints seriously

11/01/2003
Issue: Managers sometimes ignore bias claims when the “discriminator” and the “discriminatee” are from the same protected group. Risk: Your organization is liable under bias claims regardless of who makes …

An unsigned contract can still be legally binding

11/01/2003
Issue: Some courts consider agreements, signed or unsigned, to be valid, binding contracts.
Risk: A manager’s verbal promise could lock your company into legal agreements it must follow …

‘Self-defense’ is no excuse for ignoring anti-violence rules

11/01/2003
Issue: Employees may try to use “self-defense” as a reason for breaking your no-fighting rule.
Risk: That would limit your ability to punish violent workers …