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Employee Relations

Become an email ninja to survive

08/25/2008

When you’re not on top of your e-mail, you feel out of control. It can also torpedo your career, since people associate responsiveness with competence. It is possible to clear out your e-mail inbox—and keep it clear—daily. But you must be willing to change your behavior. Here are four steps …

What are the rules on recording an investigative conversation?

08/22/2008
Q. We need to investigate a claim of misconduct against an employee and will interview the employee in person or over the phone. May we record the conversation without telling the employee? …

Termination by phone: legal but unwise

08/21/2008
Q. We have an employee who has been working from home. We’ve decided we really need someone in the office. Can we terminate her by phone? Or do we have to call her into the office? — V.N., Florida …

Don’t let opinions of employees cloud your decisions

08/20/2008
Login Email Address Password I forgot my password To continue reading this page, become an HR Specialist Premium Plus member today! Your subscription includes: Ask the Attorney: Answers to your HR legal questions Compliance Guidance: Access to 7,000 HR news articles, updated daily, sorted by state State-by-State: Summaries of HR laws in all 50 states […]

5 Steps for Communicating Benefits Changes

08/19/2008

As your organization shifts more responsibility to employees to manage their own health and retirement expenses, you risk alienating your work force. But it doesn’t have to be that way …

When disciplining, focus on problems unrelated to FMLA or ADA disability

08/19/2008
You don’t have to fear being sued for ADA or FMLA violations just because you discipline a disabled person. Just as with any other employee, you can discipline if you focus on the tasks not completed and the rules broken. When it comes to attendance infractions, carefully document tardiness and absences that are not related to the employee’s disability or serious health condition …

Work Marathon Interrupted by Olympics Online

08/19/2008
The Games of the XXIX Olympiad are in full swing, and that means a certain number of your employees are watching on the web. According to a CareerBuilder.com survey, 12% of workers say they plan to watch some of the Beijing Olympics at work. Should you crack down … or see what life lessons the Games can offer?

The New Kind of I-9 I.D. You Must Accept

08/18/2008
U.S. employers must begin accepting the government’s new wallet-sized passport card—a portable alternative to the traditional passport book—as an acceptable document for completing Form I-9s, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced. Here’s what you need to know about this new form of I.D.

Can we do anything about employees discussing pay with one another?

08/15/2008

Q. Can we prohibit workers from discussing their pay with each other? This practice appears to be creating workplace conflict and damaging morale in the office …

Breaks required—But forcing employees to take them isn’t

08/15/2008
In what may end up being a landmark decision, a California Court of Appeal has held that Golden State employers aren’t required to ensure employees actually take meal and rest breaks. Employers are in the clear as long as they permit breaks and do not prevent or discourage employees from taking them …