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Policies / Handbooks

What does California’s new law mean for our dress and grooming policy?

11/16/2012

Q. We would like to enforce a strict dress and grooming code in our company. Are we required to exempt from our policy employees whose faiths call for them to dress or groom in a specific way?

Surveillance video law: How do we comply?

11/08/2012

Q. We have surveillance cameras in several locations in our workplace that record activity, but no sound. The images can be viewed over the Internet by supervisors and HR personnel who have the password to the site. What should our privacy and electronic communications policy say about access to the camera feed?

Lawsuit-proof your promotion process: Post all openings, require formal application

11/05/2012

If an employee sues and claims he didn’t earn a promotion because of some sort of discrimination, you have one bulletproof defense: proving that you posted the job but the employee never applied. How do you prove that?

Cyber Monday is looming: Recirculate your online policy

10/26/2012
Cyber Monday, the online version of deal-hunting Black Friday, is Nov. 26. Last holiday season, 50% of people said they spent time shopping online at work. Clarify your expectations and company policy with employees before the holidays begin.

Is this asking for trouble? Our sick policy requires a doctor’s note containing a diagnosis

10/18/2012
Q. Our policy states employees must provide a doctor’s note if they take sick leave of three or more days. Are we violating any laws by demanding the doctor’s note, which includes a diagnosis?

Beat retaliation suit with good HR records

10/15/2012

Employees who suspect they are facing discipline sometimes think they can stop the process by complaining about some form of alleged discrimination. At the very least, they reason, they can claim they suffered retaliation for reporting discrimination. Smart employers keep careful rec­­ords showing the internal timeline for all employment decisions.

Employers set few limits on off-duty smartphone usage

10/12/2012
Only 21% of employers set formal policies that limit employees’ use of cellphones and tablets during nonworking hours, and 26% have informal policies limiting their use, says a new SHRM survey.

What to do if you suspect intoxication at work

10/10/2012
When you smell alcohol on an employee, or receive reports that an employee smells of alcohol, you need to act fast to protect everyone’s safety. However, it’s also essential to handle the situation prudently. Follow these guidelines.

Ensure policy lets employees report harassment to someone other than boss

10/09/2012
Your sexual harassment policy may not be worth the paper it’s printed on if doesn’t spell out an alternative reporting option for em­­ployees who allege they were harassed by their supervisors. You must allow employees to bypass their bosses.

Employee handbooks: Avoid the 12 most common, costly mistakes

10/05/2012
Employment law attorneys point to a dozen common employee handbook mistakes that cause employers their biggest headaches. If you want to make a plaintiff’s attorney salivate, show him or her an employee handbook that involves any of these issues: