HRIS / Technology

‘No texting while driving,’ Obama tells federal staff, as more states outlaw texting for all drivers

11/02/2009

President Obama last month signed an executive order that directs federal employees “not to engage in text messaging while driving government-owned vehicles; when using electronic equipment supplied by the government while driving; or while driving privately owned vehicles when they’re on official government business.”

Use multimedia campaigns to nurture employee self-service

10/27/2009

Having employees handle their own pay and benefits administration is the Holy Grail of comp and benefits pros. But merely offering self-serve online resources to employees won’t automatically make them self-sufficient. Instead, initiate a long-term, multimedia strategy using techniques that encourage employees to help themselves.

Confidentiality depends on good e-mail policy

10/20/2009

Employers that don’t enforce reasonable e-mail and computer-access policies—consider yourselves warned. Without such policies and practices, you won’t be able to use the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act to punish employees who send information through your system to other persons or computers.

Banning Twitter/Facebook now the majority HR policy

10/15/2009

More than half (54%) of chief information officers nationwide say their companies don’t allow employees to access social networking sites for any reason while at work, according to a new Robert Half Technology survey. A separate CareerBuilder survey found that 45% of employers report using social networking sites to screen candidates—more than double the number from a year ago.

New rules ban texting while driving

10/13/2009

President Obama is using the White House bully pulpit to tackle a growing danger: sending, receiving and reading text messages while driving. A new policy bans texting while driving for federal workers, as more states move to make the practice illegal. Find out what the laws are where your organization does business.

You’ve got mail—and you might have a lawsuit if your e-mails are too casual

10/05/2009

E-mail—often quick and informal—is the standard for most business communications these days. But if you’re too casual in the way you word e-mails, you could wind up in lots of legal trouble, as the following case shows.

Attorney-client privilege: It does apply when e-mailing from work

10/01/2009

The rise of electronic communication has forced employers and courts to take a fresh look at many issues that used to be considered routine. The age-old concept of attorney-client privilege is the latest one to whipsaw through the courts.

Warn employees: We’re monitoring your e-mail

09/21/2009

California employees have a constitutional right to privacy. That doesn’t mean, however, that employers can’t monitor e-mail sent to and from company computers and servers. The key: a policy that makes it clear that transmittals are not private.

Review privacy and surveillance policies in light of new California Supreme Court ruling

09/21/2009

The California Supreme Court has ruled in a case involving video camera surveillance and employee privacy rights. The court said employees do indeed have a right to considerable privacy at work, but that in this particular case the employer had acted reasonably and limited the surveillance to what was necessary under the circumstances.

‘Sexting’ causes growing harassment risk in workplaces

09/18/2009

HR is being forced to respond to an increasing number of sexual harassment claims revolving around explicit photos sent via text message, a practice known as “sexting.” Latest case: A Hooters waitress in Florida sued, saying her manager sexually harassed her by texting explicit photos.