Policies / Handbooks

Take it on faith: You can accommodate religious diversity

10/07/2011

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from discriminating against employees based on their religious beliefs. As America becomes more diverse, employers are facing more issues that concern employee faith, including requests for time off and dress and grooming standards.

Blind sided by an employee’s inglorious Internet activity

10/05/2011

Wonder what employees are really doing on those computers all day? A new court ruling shows that if they’re engaging in illegal cyber activities, you can show them the door. Just make sure you’ve shown them your cyber rulebook first …

Supreme Court asked to fast-track decision on health reform law

10/04/2011

The Obama administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act health care reform law—the administration’s hallmark domestic legislative achievement—paving the way for a fast-tracked decision that, regardless of which way it goes, will affect HR professionals for years to come.

How to avoid the top 5 employment law mistakes employers make

10/03/2011

Failing to effectively communicate with your employees isn’t just bad for business. It also can create legal trouble. Here are five of the most common errors that land employers in court. As you’ll see, communication lies at the heart of all of them.

Can worker use iPhone to secretly record review?

10/03/2011

Q. One of our employees secretly did an audio recording of his performance review meeting with his iPhone. Is that legal?

A good smartphone policy covers ‘textual harassment’ and more

09/28/2011

If you have a policy prohibiting employees from using cell phones while driving on company business, it may no longer be sufficient. Blame the rise of smartphones, which make it more important than ever to have a mobile phone policy.

7 steps to help prevent and address workplace bullying

09/16/2011

We all knew schoolyard bullies, and, if we were lucky, they left us alone. Sadly, research indicates many workers are targets of “workyard” bullies. And workplace bullying comes with significant costs.

Returning soldiers must follow your policies

09/16/2011

Soldiers who take military leave for active service or training are generally entitled to return to their jobs when they finish their military service. They even have protection from being terminated without cause if they served long enough. But USERRA does not protect employees who fail to follow existing company rules when they return or try to return.

Feds find fault with ‘no fault’ attendance policies

09/06/2011

Verizon’s recent $20 million settlement of a class-action lawsuit—the largest disability settlement in EEOC history—is shining a spotlight on the legal risks of no-fault attendance policies. The lawsuit claimed the company violated the ADA by refusing to make exceptions to its no-fault attendance policy to accommodate employees with disabilities.

EEOC finds fault with ‘no fault’ attendance policies

08/25/2011