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Employee Relations

Smell alcohol on employee’s breath? What to do now

02/07/2014
When you smell alcohol on an employee, or receive reports that an employee smells of alcohol, you need to act fast to protect everyone’s safety—but not so fast that you mishandle the situation. Follow these guidelines.

When porn is ‘research,’ First Amendment may apply

02/07/2014
Some professions in the public sector may benefit from constitutional protections more than other employees.

17 California employers make Fortune’s ‘best’ list

02/05/2014
Fortune magazine has tallied the 100 best companies to work for in 2014 and 17 California firms made the list. Five of the top 10 are based in Cali­­fornia—and one heads the list.

Speed up a team slowpoke

02/01/2014
Every team has at least one employee who is slow to deliver work. The person almost always is the reason the team falls behind or fails to meet goals. Ramp up the energy and output of a slowpoke with these tips:

Alternative Dispute Resolution

02/01/2014

HR Law 101: In recent years, various forms of alternative dispute resolution have gained popularity. Mandatory arbitration in particular is attractive to employers because employees who sign arbitration agreements forfeit their right to sue in federal or state court …

Firing: You don’t have to be right, just honest

01/28/2014

Employees don’t always see eye to eye on discipline, performance appraisals or other workplace issues. But as long as you reasonably be­­lieve that your discipline was appropriate or your evaluation was on the money, you have little to fear. Simply put, the employee doesn’t get to second-guess your reasons.

Four Seasons employees share via in-house newscast

01/20/2014

Employees of Boston’s Four Seasons Hotel get employee news via an in-house, co-worker-produced newscast. Every two weeks, employees put together a 10-minute show that airs on TV sets in staff areas.

Progressive Discipline

01/18/2014

HR Law 101: The most reliable way to protect your organization from charges of wrongful discharge is to establish and enforce a system of progressive discipline. Make it clear to all your supervisors that they’re expected to abide by your policy …

Do annual reviews work? A case study, success story & interview

01/15/2014

When Suzanne Benoit, SPHR, joined Wright-Ryan Con­­struc­­tion as its HR director, she learned that the company had been using an annual performance review process that wasn’t yielding the results it wanted. She then created a new process designed to improve performance, accountability and employee engagement. Here’s a conversation we recently had about how that process worked and its results.

HR sleuth: How to conduct a workplace investigation

01/15/2014
Whether it is a small inquiry that might only involve a couple of questions, or a weighty investigation into serious allegations of misconduct, being deliberate and intentional about an investigation will create a more helpful and less disruptive process.