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Policies / Handbooks

Push is on for space and time for breastfeeding at work

03/22/2011
New moms who want to continue breastfeeding after they return to work have powerful supporters behind them—and a new law that says their employers have to give them time, privacy and space to pump. Here are six factors to consider if your organization is planning to set up space for breastfeeding moms:

Firing meetings: Let workers talk; ‘zip it’ doesn’t work

03/11/2011

You’ve had it up to here. Now it’s time to fire a poorly performing employee. As you’re about to do so, the employee wants to tell you something. But you tell her to “zip it.” Nothing she says will change your mind. As this case shows, you better zip it yourself and listen. Here’s why …

Hug or a handshake: Which does your workplace embrace?

03/08/2011
Like people, some workplaces welcome huggers. Others prefer a smartly extended right hand. “To hug or not to hug” is the question … and here’s the answer.

Kasich takes gender identity out of Ohio’s bias policy

03/04/2011
Already under political assault for appointing an all-white cabinet, Gov. John Kasich raised hackles in Ohio’s gay community when he eliminated gender identity as a protected class for state workers.

Make sure employee handbook supports compliance with leave laws

03/04/2011
Employers are generally free to develop their own internal policies, but many laws require employers to notify employees of those policies. Consider the case of Jones v. City of Atlantic City in which an FMLA dispute revealed that Atlantic City hadn’t updated its handbook in 13 years. In fact, the last update happened two months before the FMLA was signed into law.

Disclaimer can counter employment-contract argument

03/04/2011
A disclaimer that clearly states an employee has no employment contract may be enough to kill a tortuous interference-with-contract claim.

Dirty Dozen: 12 manager mistakes that spark lawsuits

03/03/2011
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Sample Policy: Harassment

02/28/2011
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Romance gone bad: What can we do to discourage relationships between employees?

02/28/2011
Q. Two of our employees are having a romantic relationship. One is married. The wife of the married employee came to our facility and demanded to speak with the other woman. We didn’t permit them to speak on the premises. Can we do anything to discourage employee romances or is that strictly off-limits?

Managing employees in remote locations? Insist they follow the rules, just like everyone else

02/25/2011

As more and more employees work from locations away from the main office, employers are finding it challenging to manage their workforces. In some cases, that may be so difficult that it doesn’t seem worth having remote workers, especially when an employee tries to take advantage of the distance and begins to ignore the rules. Don’t let that happen.