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Policies / Handbooks

Not to split hairs, you can’t sell Harleys looking like that

08/12/2008
Craig Berg joined Apol’s Harley-Davidson of Alexandria as a salesman in May 2006. During his tenure of less than a year, Berg received at least 10 warnings from supervisor Thomas Brenden about his appearance. Brenden objected to Berg’s facial hair, which he shaved every few days. “If you want to grow a beard, grow a beard,” Brenden told him. “If you don’t want to grow a beard, then shave.” …

Can we withhold accrued vacation pay if employee doesn’t give two weeks’ notice?

08/12/2008
Q. Our company policy is to not pay an employee for unused vacation time if the employee resigns without giving the required two weeks’ notice. A former employee has challenged this policy and is threatening to take the company to court. Is this policy lawful? …

Take steps to ensure employees aren’t exposed to porn at work

08/11/2008
Perhaps because controlling Internet access to pornographic images isn’t technically difficult, and because word tends to get around pretty quickly if a co-worker is showing porn to co-workers, courts now are clamping down more on employers that don’t do enough to make sure the workplace is not a sexual cesspool …

Judge upholds gun law as companies duck and cover

08/11/2008
Florida employees may keep guns locked in their cars at work, but customers do not have the same right, Tallahassee U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle ruled in July. Hinkle upheld most of Florida’s new “guns at work” law, which went into effect July 1, but said it is so poorly written that it’s “stupid.” 

‘You Won’t Work Sundays?!’ EEOC Offers Guidance on Religious Accommodations

08/06/2008
The EEOC recently released guidance to help employers avoid religious discrimination charges. Distilled from the law, regulations and court decisions, the guidance offers both a list of frequently asked questions about religious discrimination and accommodation and a list of best practices. You can download free copies of each here.

You’re justified in firing employee you reasonably believe committed ‘Leave fraud’

08/06/2008
Here’s a surprisingly common situation that presents what looks like a no-win situation for employers: A worker with a high-pressure job and a heavy workload asks for FMLA and short-term disability leave for various minor health problems. The company approves the leave, expecting the employee back after 12 weeks …

Remind managers: Justify deviations from disciplinary rules

08/05/2008
Handbooks and disciplinary rules help managers mete out consistent and fair discipline. But no handbook or set of rules can cover every possible disciplinary problem, and supervisors need some discretion when deciding what punishment fits the crime. The problem is that any deviation from the rules may be seen as discrimination if an employee who belongs to a protected class perceives that he has been punished more harshly than a co-worker who broke the same rule …

Is ‘at-will’ employment at risk in Colorado? Voters will decide

08/05/2008
Colorado (like nearly every other state) historically has been an “at-will” employment state. That means employers are free to fire an employee, and an employee is free to quit, at any time, with or without cause, and with or without notice. But this fall, that could all change. Ballot Initiative 76 would amend the state constitution to eliminate at-will employment …

Judge Upholds ‘Guns-at-Work’ Law; Companies Duck and Cover

08/05/2008
A Florida judge has upheld that state’s new "guns-at-work" law that allows employees to keep firearms locked in their cars on company parking lots. But many employers are aggressively looking for ways to keep the weapons off their premises, using special exemptions built into the law. With two other states recently enacting legislation similar to Florida’s (and more poised to consider the issue next year), this is an issue HR needs to monitor.

Can we ban guns in the workplace?

08/04/2008
Q. May an employer prohibit employees who are licensed by the state of Texas to carry a concealed firearm from bringing firearms onto the employer’s property? …