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Hiring

Make sure written employment contracts exclude oral promises

02/01/2008

It’s tempting for hiring managers to oversell positions they desperately want to fill. Although HR should warn them not to make promises the organization can’t keep, it happens. That’s why every written employment agreement and offer letter should contain explicit language limiting the terms to what actually appears in writing …

What ‘Brown’ does for employees, education

02/01/2008

UPS uses a tuition assistance program to attract part-time employees to work the graveyard shift. Much of the $300 million the firm has spent on tuition assistance programs over 10 years has paid for its trademarked Earn and Learn program for part-time employees …

Choosing a recruiter? Steer clear of these 4 deadly sins

02/01/2008

Say you need just the right person for a key executive position, so you bring in a recruiting firm for the first time. But the result is a small, inferior candidate pool and/or the new hire jumps ship after three months. The process takes longer than it should and you overpay for inefficient service. Advice: If you must hire a recruiting firm, avoid these common mistakes …

Creative job titles can reap big recruiting ROI

02/01/2008

Innovative titles are a great way to draw more eyeballs—and possibly some PR—to your online job listings. Example: A division of Sheraton hotels put out the call for a CBO (Chief Beer Officer) …

CEO’s handwritten notes help seal recruiting deal

02/01/2008

Gen Y employees love to communicate electronically, but remember: They can still be swayed by the power of the handwritten note …

The old ‘Pot in the meatballs’ trick fails again

02/01/2008

A New York City Police Department counterterrorism detective said he failed a drug test in 2005 because his wife spiked his meatballs with marijuana …

Can we demand a polygraph test to identify theft suspects?

02/01/2008

Q. Recently, money from my office’s petty cash lockbox came up missing. As a part of our investigation, can we require employees to take a lie detector test? …

Minnesota Drug and Alcohol Testing in the Workplace Act

02/01/2008
Minnesota’s Drug and Alcohol Testing in the Workplace Act (DATWA) limits employers’ ability to test employees and independent contractors for illegal drugs and alcohol. While DATWA does not require employers to perform drug testing, it governs the process if employers elect to do so …

Washington Update: News from the NLRB, EEOC and USCIS

01/15/2008

The New Year often brings a flurry of activity from the many federal government agencies that address employment issues, and 2008 is no exception. We’ve got good news on employers’ control over workplace e-mail, bad news for employers who discriminate and mixed news for those who want to hire foreign workers.

Hiring friends, family not illegal—Unless race factors in

01/01/2008

Technically, favoring friends and family members for jobs and giving them plum assignments isn’t illegal. But if nepotism results in an all or mostly white work force, applicants or employees from other protected categories (e.g., race, gender, national origin) can still sue, claiming illegal discrimination …