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Compensation & Benefits

Overrelying on employee referrals? Beware of the legal risks

02/01/2005
Employee-referral programs have become one of the most successful and least expensive recruiting strategies. But even with their popularity, employee-referral programs can be double-edged swords.
Relying too much on employee …

The new risks of premature job offers

02/01/2005
Rescinding job offers just got more legally dangerous. As incredible as it sounds, if you pull the rug out from a candidate’s job offer, the person may be able to sue …

Encourage staff volunteerism, but don’t link it to pay, promotion

02/01/2005
Heads up: More employers are heaping legal trouble on themselves by tracking employees’ volunteerism ef-forts and, in some cases, using that information (either directly or indirectly) as a prerequisite for promotions …

Employ teens? See new list of ‘too dangerous’ jobs

02/01/2005
The U.S. Labor Department unveiled new limits on the type of responsibilities you can give teen employees in certain industries. The key changes, which take effect Feb. 14: new limits on …

Crank up retention efforts; 75 percent looking to jump ship

01/01/2005
If your organization’s turnover rate hasn’t picked up recently, it’s only a matter of time. That’s the message of
a new Society for Human Resource Management survey that says 75 …

Tread carefully when approving job-sharing arrangements

01/01/2005
Issue: Two employees ask to share one job: Should your organization approve it?
Risk/benefit: Job sharing can improve retention and boost morale, but it also can spark negative side effects. …

Best benefits can be found in the public sector

01/01/2005
Possibly to offset lower salaries, jobs in the nonprofit and government sectors typically come with richer employee benefits than similar private-sector jobs, according to a new Mercer HR Consulting study. It …

New employee perk: subsidized eco-car purchase

01/01/2005
Last month, California software firm Hyperion began offering
its employees $5,000 toward the purchase of gas/electric hybrid vehicles, such as the Toyota Prius or Honda Insight. The 1,500-employee company budgeted …

Workers’ comp leave doesn’t stop ‘FMLA clock’

01/01/2005

Q. An employee took FMLA leave Sept. 1 due to job stress. In October, she had an operation for carpal tunnel syndrome. Workers’ comp ruled that her absence was work-related and it dated her workers’ comp claim back to Sept. 3. So, they’re now saying that her FMLA leave won’t start until she is officially released from workers’ comp. Do we need to keep a job open for her indefinitely? —F.W., Nevada

You’re not required to give reservists a post-duty rest period

01/01/2005
If you have military reservists on staff, you can call them to work right after they return from their weekend duty or other service obligations. Contrary to what you may have …