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HR Management

Employees’ Seniority Trumps Disabled Co-Workers’ ADA Rights

07/01/2006

If you award first choice of promotions, shifts, vacation slots and other perks based on employees’ seniority, you’ll face a dilemma if a disabled employee requests an ADA accommodation that conflicts with that policy …

Have an Affirmative Action Plan? Protect Against Reverse-Bias Claims

07/01/2006

In the HR world, your actions sometimes fall into the “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” category. This is one of those cases …

Breaching employment contract can nullify noncompete clause

07/01/2006

The best way to protect against employee poaching—and against employees using your organization as a training ground to start their own competing firm—is with a solid employment contract and noncompete agreement. But it will mean nothing if you break the agreement first …

‘Ministerial exception’ isn’t free pass for religious groups to discriminate

07/01/2006

If your organization is a religious institution, you may not have adopted anti-discrimination policies or practices because you think you can rely on the “ministerial exception.” But, as a new case shows, that may not always be the case …

Boycott effort at ExxonMobil could alter policies on gay workers

07/01/2006

ExxonMobil has earned the wrath of many for reaping record profits while gasoline prices run so high. Now the oil giant is facing a boycott—not from angry motorists but from gay rights groups …

Don’t tolerate employees’ abuse of union rights

07/01/2006

Q. One of our employees (a bus driver) also serves as a committee member for a labor union. The driver uses his union position to protect himself from our company’s policy on insubordination. Does management have a right to ban this employee from the property when he conducts labor business because of his combative, disrespectful and intimidating manner? What rights does management have under this circumstance? —S. G., Florida

Help trim health costs by reviewing claims error data

07/01/2006

Health insurers make a surprising number of errors on claims, which can drive up your organization’s premiums and claims costs. Act now to identify money-wasting holes in your health plan with a full audit or a simpler checkup …

Cut turnover by teaching managers how to respect staff

07/01/2006

Employees who feel less respected by their superiors are more likely to jump ship. The lesson: Treating workers with respect and dignity is ultracritical to retaining good workers, especially in a hot job market …

Perk up your presentations: 7 tips from Apple’s Steve Jobs

07/01/2006

Dry, rambling HR presentations will cause employees to tune out. To sharpen your presentation techniques, heed these methods of Apple Computer co-founder Steve Jobs, a widely acknowledged presentation master …

Get Ahead by Drafting Your Own ‘Career Annual Report’

07/01/2006

What have you learned and accomplished in the past five years? If you can’t answer that question, you’ll have a tougher time selling yourself to potential employers. Use the following template to create an annual report that can help collect your thoughts each year …