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Policies / Handbooks

At-Will employment and our ability to fire

04/01/2008
Q. We are a small company with fewer than 10 employees. We would like to terminate an employee who is pulling down workplace morale. What are the risks? …

Social media case study: Burt’s Bees boss blogs to beat bad buzz

04/01/2008

When fans of natural cosmetics maker Burt’s Bees learned the company was selling itself to Clorox, a buzz of protest followed, as customers complained the bleach maker was not environmentally friendly. In response, CEO John Replogle went blogging …

How to get managers to enforce a dress code

04/01/2008
A reader of the Forum section of our free HR Weekly e-letter posed this question, “Our managers are responsible for enforcing our dress code, but some of them don’t. What can we do?” Here’s how some HR professionals replied …

Evenly enforce appearance, grooming rules

04/01/2008
For the most part, you are free to set and enforce grooming and dress standards for your employees. But here’s an angle to consider when disciplining colorful employees: You must make sure you apply the rules evenhandedly. Don’t single out anyone who belongs to a protected class for special enforcement of the rules …

Can we dock vacation time if sick leave is exhausted?

04/01/2008
Q. If an employee is out sick but has already used up her sick leave hours, can we legally subtract from her vacation time instead? …

Nipping threat of nepotism in the bud

04/01/2008
Q. Some employees have complained anonymously that an employee is receiving preferential treatment because she’s the niece of a manager. We would like to defuse the situation by transferring her to another office. Is this OK? …

Section 1981 Claims

03/16/2008

HR Law 101: Section 1981, a little-known section of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, prohibits racial discrimination in the making and enforcement of contracts. Now, employees are increasingly using Section 1981 instead of Title VII to sue for discrimination because there’s no cap on damage awards …

When romance goes bad: Protecting the company from the fallout

03/01/2008

When office romances sour, scorned lovers often use Title VII to allege that their former lover was a sexual harasser. And even if the lovers are happy, workplace romances can cause problems in the office or on the shop floor. If co-workers feel a love affair results in favoritism, the relationship may lead to charges of conflict of interest, harassment, retaliation or discrimination …

Workplace flexibility: no longer one-Size-Fits-All

03/01/2008

A flexible workplace is flexible in its flexibility. Flextime and flex-place are no longer accommodations for working mothers alone. They are part of a business strategy that helps keep employees productive …

Afraid to discipline disabled employee? Just follow the rules

03/01/2008

Sometimes, it may feel like everyone in HR is walking on eggshells, especially when it comes to disciplining employees who say they have disabilities. It doesn’t have to be that way—if you have a comprehensive employee handbook and consistently follow it …