• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

HRIS / Technology

Business.gov now offers state compliance advice

03/01/2008
The U.S. government’s main web site for business regulatory compliance, www.Business.gov, has always billed itself as the go-to site for federal compliance. But its new search features and expanded content now allow you to search for information on regulatory information from state and local governments, too …

Paying candidates for interviews: Folly or the future?

03/01/2008

In many cases, the best candidates for your job openings aren’t in the job market. They’re happily employed elsewhere, and they need a major incentive to show up at your door for an interview. A new start-up job board intends to create that incentive …

3 free tools to perk up employee teamwork

03/01/2008

If your organization hasn’t moved beyond “reply all” e-mails as its sole means of online employee interaction, promote any of these three options to spark more interaction and productivity …

4 new tricks for long-Distance training

03/01/2008
Thanks to flashy new tools, you can compose and distribute business slide shows online in novel ways. You may have heard about Google’s new web-based presentation tool. Here are other ways to give your bullet-point training more impact …

Warn staff of new e-Mail scams using IRS’ name

03/01/2008
The IRS has posted a warning about e-mail and phone-based scams that falsely use the agency’s name. The goal: Trick people into giving up their Social Security numbers and other financial data …

The water cooler dies: Office gossip spreads faster online

02/05/2008

Gossip and nonwork chatter that spread via e-mail, instant messages (IMs) or texting can easily be captured and saved, possibly for a jury to see someday. The solution: Don’t let workplace-related gossip spread unfettered. Establish a reputation as an open-door HR department, and become a “news creator” rather than constantly responding with damage control to squash rumors …

Goes without saying, but say it anyway: No porn at work

02/01/2008

You would think it’s common sense, but apparently it’s not. While viewing pornography may be perfectly legal in one’s home (with some exceptions, such as that containing images of children), such viewing has absolutely no place at work. The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals consistently has ruled “the mere presence of pornography in a workplace can alter the ‘status’ of women” and may be objective proof of a hostile environment …

Payroll goes totally paperless, saving time and money

02/01/2008

The Container Store has an entirely paperless payroll department. The transition to a paperless system began five years ago when the Texas-based company adopted new payroll software that allows employees to change their information online …

Armored car employee charged in $7.4 million heist

02/01/2008

Roger Lee Dillon, an employee of armored car company AT Systems International, allegedly coordinated a complicated heist from a company garage in Liberty late last year. Retail receipts from Thanksgiving weekend sales were the targets …

Maintain computer time records to prove overtime hours

02/01/2008

When it comes to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), unpaid overtime claims are perhaps the most feared charges. It’s important to have solid records showing the hours worked, even for exempt employees. If it turns out the employee should have been classified as nonexempt, you’ll have to provide compelling evidence of the hours the employee actually worked …