Personnel Files

Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act

01/01/2010

HR Law 101: The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), signed into law in May 2008, prohibits employers with 15 or more employees from discriminating against job applicants or employees based on their genetic information in hiring, firing, compensation or any other terms of employment.

Should HR work space be separated from others?

01/01/2010

Q. We don’t have a lot of space in our office. Our HR staff shares space with administrative employees and some managers. Must we separate the HR staff from others to protect employee records from snooping eyes?

To what extent can we use electronic systems to store I-9s and other personnel documents?

12/23/2009

Q. I understand that I-9 forms can now be stored electronically. To save on office space and filing time, our department is considering scanning and electronically filing all personnel files and documents. Is this OK?

Taming the paper tiger: What to keep—and for how long

12/03/2009

Some HR departments are notorious for keeping every stack of paper indefinitely, while others fail to keep enough. Neither approach is acceptable, and it’s up to you to maintain a happy medium that complies with the law. Proper record-keeping is one of an HR professional’s core duties. Knowing what legally must be kept and for how long are important aspects of that duty.

Free HR forms: Termination checklist

11/03/2009

HR Specialist: Premium Plus subscribers have access to more than 70 attorney-approved HR forms and documents—including this checklist designed to help you track the dozens of details that need to be managed when an employee quits or is terminated. Feel free to adapt it for use in your organization.

DHS is cracking down — follow these I-9 best practices

10/19/2009

Times are changing in the world of workplace immigration law. Employers now have to complete a new version of the I-9 Form. The feds just launched “a bold new audit initiative” to punish employers who hire illegals. And starting Sept. 8, thousands of federal contractors are required to use the electronic E-Verify system. Result: a greater risk for immigration-related trouble than ever before …

What’s going on? How to conduct a workplace investigation

09/10/2009

Disputes between co-workers and between employees and their bosses are almost inevitable—which is why every HR professional must know how to gather the necessary facts to find out what’s going on. Whether it is a small inquiry or a weighty investigation into serious allegations of misconduct, being deliberate and intentional about an investigation will create a more helpful and less disruptive process.

Get it in writing! You need consistent, persistent documentation

09/08/2009

If I had to boil employment law into one overarching maxim, it would be this: Be fair and document everything, in case someone thinks you’re not being fair. If you doubt the importance of thorough documentation, consider two recent cases decided by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Stop legal bait-and-switch by documenting, retaining copies of employee complaints

09/02/2009

Employees who engage in some form of protected activity—such as filing an EEOC complaint, participating in a discrimination case or complaining about possible discrimination to the company—are protected from retaliation for doing so. But often employees who complain about one thing end up suing on entirely different grounds …

Avoid the ‘D’ word: Never mark ‘disabled’ on personnel files

08/20/2009

A key part of the ADA is the so-called “regarded as” rule. Essentially, it says that if your organization treats an employee as if he or she is disabled, then the employee earns the job protections provided under the ADA—even if he or she isn’t truly disabled. What does it take to “regard” someone as disabled? It can be as simple as jotting “disabled” on an application or employee paperwork.