HRIS / Technology

Can we ban personal cell phones at work?

07/04/2011

Q. Almost all our employees carry personal cell phones and seem to be calling or texting during work hours. Can we require them to put their phones in their lockers at the beginning of their shifts?

Does our I-9 software comply with the law?

06/30/2011

Q. We use an electronic I-9 software system that was developed in-house. How can we ensure it complies with federal law?

Violating your e-policies can be a federal crime

06/24/2011

If you’re worried that an employee or ex-employee will break into your computer network and damage the company, a new court ruling gives you more teeth to enforce your policy. And it gives employees something to think about before they commit e-sabotage.

5 simple ways to tune up your inbox

06/23/2011

Email is a source of productivity, but it can also become an out-of-control monster. If you’re in search of the magic bullet to make it easier to archive email—and later find what you need—here are five tips to tune up your inbox:

Supreme Court upholds mandatory E-Verify in Arizona case

05/31/2011

The U.S. Supreme Court last week upheld an Arizona law that requires employers in that state to use the federal government’s E-Verify electronic employment eligibility verification system. Other states are already lining up to require their employers to use E-Verify, too, joining 11 states that already do. It’s time to learn how to use the government’s online tool.

‘Private’ email? Remind your employee that there’s no such thing!

05/13/2011

Make it clear with employees—early and often—that your electronic communications are not their private playground. Legally, it’s your organization’s property and you have the right to monitor every email as you wish.

Monitoring the virtual water cooler: Employees on Facebook and more

05/10/2011

It’s a sure thing: Your employees are using social media such as Facebook and Twitter. That means you need to make conscious decisions about how to address social media issues with your employees. Proactively develop a policy so you don’t get stuck doing damage control—perhaps becoming the latest talk heard ’round the virtual water cooler.

Enforce e-mail usage rules–if only to avoid PR nightmare

05/03/2011

If you let employees ignore reasonable restrictions on how they use company e-mail and other communications tools, you may find yourself having to scramble to prevent embarrassing information from becoming public.

The best business blogs for women

04/15/2011

Women turn to blogs nearly twice as often as social networking sites to find information and share opinions, according to a report in PINK magazine. Here’s PINK’s list of the top business blogs for women:

NLRB ruling revisited: Can employees really trash you on Facebook?

04/05/2011

Don’t read too much into the NLRB’s recent “Facebook rant” ruling. Despite much employer hand-wringing, the decision didn’t give employees a free pass on social media posts. They still don’t have license to defame, disparage or otherwise trash their company, management, product or co-workers. Here’s why.