Policies / Handbooks

Big changes proposed for ADA accessibility rules

11/01/2005

You may need to make new accommodations for disabled customers and employees if proposed regulations win approval. The Access Board, an independent agency …

Do you need a blog policy? Ask yourself 3 questions

11/01/2005

Employment policies often must adapt to changes in culture and technology, and the explosion of blogs is one such example. Disgruntled employees often use their blogs to attacks employers, spread gossip about co-workers or even publish suggestive pictures of themselves. Ask yourself the following questions to see if you need a blog policy …

Beware growing liability risk: harassment by customers

11/01/2005

Issue: Courts are cracking down on employers that tolerate customer harassment of foreign-born employees.
Risk: Supervisors sometimes are more lenient with harassment by customers than by employees. That’s a big …

Use safety as a recruiting tool; learn from the best

11/01/2005

Issue: Safety-conscious companies look beyond the bottom line.
Benefit: In addition to reducing costs and boosting morale, safety can be promoted as a recruiting tool to applicants.
Action: Reduce …

How important are post-interview thank-you notes?

11/01/2005

About 15 percent of the 650 hiring managers in a recent CareerBuilder survey said they wouldn’t hire someone who failed to send a thank-you note after an interview. Another 32 percent …

If bird flu hits U.S. shores, prepare a telework plan

11/01/2005

How will your organization respond if a human bird flu outbreak strikes? A major flu pandemic is possible and now is the best time to prepare for the worst. Advice: Consider …

No need to juice up severance package next year

11/01/2005

Nationwide, severance benefits have declined a bit since 2001, according to a survey of 1,030 HR executives by consultant Lee Hecht Harrison. Only one-third of employers changed their severance policies during …

Holiday gifts: Charity is in, ‘bling’ is out for 2005

11/01/2005

Wrapping up a year in which natural disasters and ongoing war grabbed the headlines, look for corporate gifts, including those to employees, to focus more on charity and comfort than on …

A surprise inspection can uncover discrimination before it’s too late

10/01/2005

There may be areas of your workplace that supervisors, and maybe even HR, rarely visit, such as locker rooms, loading docks and break rooms. But don’t take a “hear no evil, …

Check state, local laws on sexual-orientation bias

10/01/2005

No federal law grants job discrimination protection for people due to their sexual orientation or “gender identity,” but many employers are unaware that several state and local laws make workplace bias …