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Policies / Handbooks

Tread carefully when approving job-sharing arrangements

01/01/2005
Issue: Two employees ask to share one job: Should your organization approve it?
Risk/benefit: Job sharing can improve retention and boost morale, but it also can spark negative side effects. …

Make legally smart job offers; avoid ‘implied’ contracts

01/01/2005
Issue: Legal problems that stem from inadvertent comments at the job-offer stage.
Risk: Imprecise wording of an offer could lock you into an ‘implied contract’ with the employee.
Action: …

Be consistent when bending policies to suit elder care needs

01/01/2005
Issue: Most organizations lack formal elder care benefits or policies. Instead, they assist employees by making exceptions to other policies.
Risk: Unless you apply those exceptions fairly, you’ll risk complaints …

Employee fraud: Know whom (and what) to look out for

01/01/2005
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Demand English fluency only if it’s needed

01/01/2005
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Accommodate religious requests; don’t debate ‘sincerity’

01/01/2005
Issue: Accommodating employees’ religious beliefs and practices even though you question their legitimacy.
Risk: You’ll waste time (and potentially spark a lawsuit) by challenging a person’s religious sincerity.
Action: …

Lend managers an ear to help them solve employee issues

01/01/2005
Issue: Don’t always rush in to solve employee problems for managers; sometimes, just listening is the best course.
Benefit: Effective listening casts you in the role of coach, encouraging managers …

Insist on fluent English only if job requires it

12/01/2004
It’s clear that you can require bank tellers and phone salespeople to speak fluent English. But can you make the same demand of a construction worker or dishwasher?
In many …

You can offer, but not force, light duty as an option for FMLA leave

12/01/2004
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allows certain employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave each year. But, as the following case shows, you can …

Offhand gripe to co-worker can trigger retaliation protection

12/01/2004
Make sure you train employees how to lodge work-related complaints with the company. The benefit: A clear complaint procedure provides a defense if employees lodge informal complaints outside of your process. …