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Employee Relations

Promotions vs. external hires: Who performs better?

07/03/2013
External hires receive significantly lower performance evaluations and higher exit rates during their first two years on the job than do internal hires who are promoted into similar positions, according to a study by management professor Matthew Bidwell.

Employees break world record by making 1,000 sandwiches

07/01/2013
Arlington, Va.-based Corporate Executive Board made the Guinness Book of World Records in May, but not for anything to do with its core business. Its feat: More than 500 employees pulled together to make 1,000 sandwiches in less than five minutes, which they donated to local food kitchens.

Poor review alone isn’t grounds for lawsuit

06/27/2013
Good news for bosses who get nervous when required to give poor performance evaluations: A negative performance review alone isn’t grounds for a lawsuit. It’s only if the review becomes the basis for discharge, demotion or a denied promotion that employees can take the matter to court.

Worry about disciplinary inequities from one supervisor, not every boss

06/27/2013
Yes, all employees are supposed to be treated equally when they break the same rule. But when courts compare discipline, they don’t do so across the entire organization. They focus on one supervisor at a time. Company-wide variations are normal and not absolute proof of discrimination.

Create–and enforce–policy requiring honesty

06/26/2013
Employers want honest ­employees who don’t lie, cheat or steal. To encourage honesty, be sure your company has a policy requiring honesty. That way, it’s easy to terminate someone you believe has acted dishonorably.

Supreme Court defines ‘supervisor’ in bias cases

06/26/2013
In a major victory for employers, the Supreme Court has ruled 5-4 that, in Title VII discrimination cases, only someone with the power to take “tangible employment action” can be considered a supervisor. The June 24 decision in Vance v. Ball State will make it harder for employees to sue for supervisor bias.

Fair investigation all that’s needed to support discharge

06/24/2013
Employers don’t have to be absolutely right before disciplining an employee. They merely have to investigate first.

‘Wheel of Fortune’ could land worker in jail

06/19/2013
A North Carolina postal worker could wind up working in a prison mail room after pleading guilty to workers’ compensation fraud. Her problems began when former co-workers spotted her on the television game show “Wheel of Fortune.”

Speak freely to EEOC–it’s privileged communication

06/18/2013
Good news: You won’t be held personally liable—and neither will your company—for what you say in re­­sponse to an EEOC complaint. State­­ments made in an EEOC investigation are privileged.

4 keys for legally managing absenteeism

06/14/2013
The costs of absenteeism—in lost production, overtime and temp replacements for the absent worker—can add up quickly. Combat absenteeism with a clear policy, careful documentation and consistent discipline.