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Policies / Handbooks

Can we ban weapons anywhere on our premises?

05/04/2009

Q. I know I can prohibit anyone, including employees, from bringing weapons into the workplace. Can I expand the same prohibition to the rest of my property, such as the parking lot?

How to Solve Your Employee Absentee Problem

05/03/2009
Login Email Address Password I forgot my password To continue reading this page, become an HR Specialist Premium Plus member today! Your subscription includes: Ask the Attorney: Answers to your HR legal questions Compliance Guidance: Access to 7,000 HR news articles, updated daily, sorted by state State-by-State: Summaries of HR laws in all 50 states […]

25 Off-Limits Interview Questions

05/01/2009
White Paper published by The HR Specialist, copyright 2009 ______________________ Job interviews present a minefield of legal problems. One wrong question could spark a discrimination lawsuit. That’s why you should never "wing it" during interviews. Instead, create a list of interview questions and make sure every question asks for job-related information that will help in […]

Create an anti-discrimination action plan now

04/28/2009

If discrimination has always been a head-in-the-sand issue for you and your organization, it’s time to get serious about your policies and practices. Discrimination complaints of all types—race, sex, age, etc.—have climbed as steeply in the past year as the economy has fallen. Don’t get caught flat-footed.

EEOC issues employer best practices on work/family balance

04/28/2009

A new EEOC document spells out the best practices employers should follow to avoid discriminating against workers who care for ill family members, an issue that’s especially critical in a down economy. Follow our links to download your copy of this important EEOC guidance.

Check your policy! No privilege when e-mailing lawyer from work

04/27/2009

A New Jersey court has held that e-mails employees send to their attorneys via work computers are not protected by the attorney-client privilege. The court’s willingness to rule that an employer’s right to control how employees use its computer equipment trumps attorney-client privilege is significant. The decision makes it clearer than ever that employers should carefully consider the language they use in their employee handbooks.

What are the privacy rules when searching an employee? We suspect theft

04/22/2009

Q. Can we open an employee’s personal space or belongings—such as her locker, purse or desk drawer—if we suspect she is stealing?

Vacation, PTO and unexpected Saturday work: How should we pay?

04/22/2009

Q. We have a nonexempt salaried employee who normally works Monday through Friday. We pay her biweekly. She took a weeklong vacation, which normally would come out of her paid time off (PTO) bank. We had a customer emergency and called her into work on the Saturday of her vacation week. How should we pay her? …

Train managers on new FMLA regulations

04/20/2009

New FMLA regulations went into effect in January. Now is an excellent time to offer everyone in management a refresher course in what the FMLA requires. If managers remain ignorant of the new rules—or the old ones still in place—you increase the risk that an employee will charge them with willful violations.

Tell supervisors: Enforce attendance rules equally—or prepare for court

04/20/2009

If your organization uses progressive discipline to enforce your attendance policy, caution supervisors against making exceptions for some employees unless it’s clear the absence shouldn’t have been counted against them (for example, the absence was an FMLA-related reason or part of an approved ADA accommodation).