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Policies / Handbooks

Extend your grief benefits beyond simple bereavement leave

05/15/2007

Your organization probably allows grieving employees to take a few paid days off when a family member dies. But employees who lose loved ones are unlikely to return to normal in just a few days.

FMLA in a Nutshell: How to Comply With the Family and Medical Leave Act

05/15/2007
White Paper published by The HR Specialist, copyright 2009 ______________________ The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which became law in 1993, provides qualified employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year for the birth or adoption of a child, for caring for a spouse or an immediate family member with a […]

Ban smoking or ban smokers? How far can you legally go?

05/15/2007

Thirty states and the District of Columbia have established “lifestyle discrimination” laws that prohibit employers from discriminating against employees or applicants based on the person’s off-duty use of tobacco or participation in other legal though controversial activities …

Strong harassment policy plus training essential

05/01/2007

It’s been a few years since the U.S. Supreme Court laid down the law on sexual harassment…. Time breeds complacency, and too many organizations have let down their guard. The world’s best policy won’t do you any good collecting dust on a shelf …

Religious accommodations in Florida workplaces: 5 steps to take

05/01/2007

Florida mirrors America’s growing diversity in many ways. Today, co-workers wear burqas and yarmulkes, and some employees request prayer breaks. Religious diversity is a reason for celebration, but it also presents workplace challenges. Religious discrimination claims filed with the EEOC more than doubled in the past year …

Prepare to show solid business reasons for English-Only policies

05/01/2007

The EEOC has recently stepped up efforts to combat national-origin discrimination. Because the agency had concluded that speaking another primary language such as Spanish may disadvantage some employees, it’s pushing for a tight limit to when employers can enforce so-called English-only rules …

Morgan Stanley wins in whistle-Blower firing case

05/01/2007

Morgan Stanley won the latest round in its high-profile battle with IT employee Arthur Riel, who was fired for sharing e-mails that revealed questionable management practices at the firm …

Compassion of ‘Donated Leave’ Comes With Caveats

05/01/2007

When a health crisis drains an employee’s regular allotment of paid time off, some companies allow other employees to donate their own leave to help out. Here are some suggestions for making it work, as well as a few caveats …

‘Uniform’ can be an expensive word for employers

05/01/2007

Be careful what you refer to as an employee “uniform” in your employee handbook and policies. The wrong use of the word could be costly …

Hey, customers! Guess what? We are sexual harassers!

05/01/2007

Do you have to tell your customers if you’re slapped with a sexual harassment verdict? You soon might have to. In a startling new court ruling, a judge in Illinois required a company to distribute a notice to its customers informing them of the $1 million sexual harassment verdict levied against it …