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Policies / Handbooks

Replace Ebola panic with solid plan to deal with epidemics

11/05/2014

The threat of an Ebola outbreak has dominated the news for months. With the possible exceptions of health care-related organizations, it’s unlikely that most employers will ever have to deal with the disease. However, it’s a timely reminder that even relatively common maladies (such as the flu) can wreak havoc on business operations.

Should your no-smoking policy ban e-cigarettes?

10/31/2014
While they differ from traditional cigarettes in some fundamental ways, many employers are faced with a dilemma in terms of how to treat e-cigarettes in policy and in practice.

How do we rein in our staff on social media?

09/19/2014
Q. What are the rules and laws about social media? We have employees who have generated Facebook pages with our company name. They are also posting information that we are not ready to publish—such as the opening of another store in a new city.

Drug tests: What to do about ‘watered down’ results?

09/12/2014
Q. We have a couple of workers who keep getting “negative dilute” results of drug tests. Our policy is to not accept the result and to retest. Can we require the retest to be an observed collection?

Politics at work: 3 tips to limit election-year distractions

09/05/2014
Some employers try to quell this distraction by putting a gag order on political speech. That’s not a smart move. No-political-talk policies are almost impossible to enforce, plus they can choke morale and could expose you to a lawsuit.

Bring Your Own Device policies: Risks and rewards

09/01/2014
Employees are increasingly using their personal electronic devices—laptops, smartphones and tablets—for work purposes. The trend, dubbed “Bring Your Own Device” or “BYOD,” has redefined what it means to be “at work.” Employers jumping on the BYOD bandwagon face several challenges.

6 steps for setting up an in-house dispute resolution system

08/20/2014
An alternative dispute-resolution program lets you identify and address problems while they’re still manageable and before they land in court. Here’s a six-step process for establishing an ADR program.

The latest from the NLRB on employment-at-will

08/14/2014
The news from the Board is generally pro-employer, but it’s time to carefully review your handbooks, applications and offer letters.

How far can I go to ban guns at work?

07/31/2014
Q. As the owner of a Texas company, I want to institute a policy that strictly forbids employees from bringing guns to work—both into the office building and in the parking lot outside. Can I legally draft such a policy?

Policies can protect you from liability for employee torts

07/31/2014
Employers occasionally become dejected over the prospects of defending against tort and other civil claims in state courts. However, a recent case out of Houston reaffirms that employers can and do win these kinds of cases—if they have implemented the appropriate policies.