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Policies / Handbooks

Staff Twitter accounts: Who ‘owns’ the followers?

01/27/2012
If your employees post on their work-related Twitter accounts, a pending lawsuit in a federal California court could answer an important question: Who owns that Twitter “handle” and those followers when the employee leaves?

What should an anti-violence policy include?

01/18/2012
Q. We do not have a workplace violence policy and would like to prepare one. What should we include in the policy?

How should we go about reviewing our violence-prevention program?

01/18/2012
Q. We’re re-examining our workplace violence-­prevention strategies. What guidance is available to employers?

No requirement to break up love triangles–but be prepared for workplace violence

01/18/2012

When romance blooms at work, trouble may lurk not far behind. That’s especially true when co-workers fight over the same love interest. A spurned employee may be out to get her rival, leading to all sorts of conflict. Fortunately, this isn’t the sort of thing that employers have to intervene in—as long as there’s no workplace violence.

Employers don’t have to be right–just honest

01/12/2012
Here’s something to remember the next time you agonize over discharging an employee for breaking a rule: While you should treat all employees honestly, you don’t have to conduct a mini trial to determine “guilt.” It’s enough to believe you had a legitimate reason to fire the employee—even if it later turns out you were wrong.

20 years is too late to file harassment suit

01/12/2012
Here’s some good news for employers that work hard to prevent sexual harassment. Employees who wait decades to report harassment won’t get far if their employer had an effective harassment policy and enforced it.

How to help disabled employees deal with emergencies

01/05/2012
A major focus of emergency planning concerns how to help people with disabilities. However, employers must remember that federal laws may restrict what employers can do in emergencies.

Can a dress code apply to just one employee?

01/05/2012
Q. Can we set a dress code policy that bars visible tattoos and multiple piercing on our receptionist but not other workers who have less public contact?

Now’s the time to bullet-proof your employee handbook

12/31/2011
An employee handbook can be the foundation of employee performance and a shield against lawsuits, or it can be a ticking time bomb that confuses employees and strips away your legal defenses. It all depends on how well it’s written and put to use. Set aside an hour this week to review your handbook.

What HR pros must know about protecting trade secrets

12/30/2011
When any valued employee leaves, the company experiences a loss. The loss is greater, however, when the former employee departs to work for a competitor and begins using the company’s confidential information or trade secrets. HR has a key role to play in protecting a company’s proprietary information. Here’s how to do it.