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Policies / Handbooks

Different vacation policies are legal if done fairly

08/01/2003

Q. We are rewriting our vacation pay policy. Currently, we have two categories of hourly employees. Can we offer 10 vacation days after two years to some employees and five days for the same period to other employees? Can we offer different benefits to salaried and hourly employees? —S.P., Washington

Take extra anti-harassment steps with younger workers

08/01/2003
Issue: Courts may hold your harassment-prevention efforts to a higher standard when young workers are involved.
Risk: Big court judgments, ugly PR and damaged morale …

If workers’ ‘free speech’ threatens others, you can ban it

08/01/2003
Issue: Employees wrongly believe the First Amendment protects their comments at work.
Risk: You don’t need to put up with employees who claim their harassment or bias is just “free …

Launching an alternative dispute-resolution program: 6 steps

08/01/2003
So, you’re thinking about creating a program to help settle employee conflicts in-house. That’s smart; a successful alternative dispute-resolution (ADR) program lets you identify and address problems while they’re still manageable …

Treat FMLA policy changes with care, communication

08/01/2003

When establishing or changing your Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) policy, make sure you include it in your employee handbook. Don’t rely on references to the policy outside the book, and don’t attach or staple the policy separately.

Don’t ignore ergonomics: Risks remain, OSHA can still fine

08/01/2003
Issue: Repetitive-stress injuries didn’t disappear just because OSHA’s mandatory rules were repealed.
Risk: Ergonomic injuries hurt productivity and, surprisingly, you’re still vulnerable to government penalties …

Pursue harassment claims, even if complaining worker backs off

07/01/2003
You know to investigate harassment complaints when they land on your desk. But what if the complaining employee shows a lack of interest in her initial complaint, …

Multistate businesses: Standardize your policies and supervisor training

07/01/2003
If your company has policies on job transfers or resignations (and it should), make sure they are clearly articulated and strictly followed by managers …

Stop FMLA moonlighters with strict ‘no moonlighting on leave’ policy

07/01/2003
It seems crazy that your employees can use their allotted 12 weeks of annual job-protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to work at a second job. But …

Require staff to arbitrate disputes; court upholds ‘partially legal’ pact

07/01/2003
Don’t be leery of requiring employees to sign mandatory arbitration agreements. As the following ruling shows, even if a court disagrees with part of your agreement, …