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Employee Relations

Hastings offers settlement to cop accused of wrongdoing

02/12/2009

A female police officer who was placed on administrative leave after being accused of writing false traffic-warning citations has received a payout from her employer, the Hastings Police Department.

How should we handle layoffs without risking discrimination claims?

02/12/2009

Q. We need to cut two employees from our marketing department. One of the employees we would prefer to keep was hired only six months ago. If we don’t base our decision on seniority, are we more susceptible to discrimination claims?

4 tips to gain office-bound employees’ buy-in for telework

02/11/2009

New research shows there may be a hidden downside to telecommuting policies: They may cause non-telecommuters to leave their jobs. To accommodate the broader impact of telecommuting on others in the office—and stave off any negative effects—experts advise taking a fresh look at your telecommuting efforts.

Prudential benefits support adult caregivers

02/11/2009

After 38% of Prudential Financial’s employees identified themselves as adult caregivers in a 2004 survey, the financial services firm started ramping up its elder care benefits. Today, the firm offers more than half a dozen benefits for employees who help out older parents and spouses.

Stanley University offers round-the-clock training

02/11/2009

IT firm Stanley Associates has its own, round-the-clock web-based training university for employees. Stanley University offers employees more than 3,500 courses in technology, business skills, time management, writing and other skills.

Employees dozing at the desk? Offer them pillows

02/11/2009

If the worrisome economy is keeping your employees up at night, offering them a place to nap during the afternoon could help them get their work done. Nearly 30% of employees admit they have fallen asleep on the job, and 12% say fatigue has made them late for work, according to a National Sleep Foundation poll.

Document investigation to thwart harasser’s suit

02/05/2009

Sometimes, employers conducting harassment investigations find themselves in no-win situations, especially when there are conflicting claims and classic “he said, she said” scenarios. You risk a lawsuit if you fire the alleged harasser, most likely alleging some other illegal reason for your decision to terminate. The way to win these cases: Thoroughly document the investigation.

You can make disabled comply with dress, behavior standards

02/05/2009

Good news when it comes to disciplining disabled employees for breaking behavioral or dress code rules: You can and should hold the disabled to those rules, along with everyone else.

Ensure supervisors understand importance of documenting accommodations process

02/05/2009

The ADA requires employers to reasonably accommodate disabled employees and applicants. To decide what those accommodations will be, both sides are supposed to engage in an interactive process. If that process breaks down, a court will try to determine who was responsible for the impasse—and good records are key to winning that fight.

Elementary school teacher charged with drug offenses

02/02/2009

Williamsport Area School District elementary school teacher Beth Camp faces charges after police seized 72 pounds of marijuana from her Lycoming Township home.