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HR Management

Having anti-harassment policy isn’t enough: You had better be prepared to enforce it, too

03/22/2012

It’s not enough to have an anti-harassment and discrimination policy in your manual. It’s not even enough to train everyone regularly on what the policy requires. What really counts is enforcing the policy when complaints come in. If you don’t, the penalty may be punitive damages.

Warn managers: That snarky email may be the smoking-gun evidence that loses a lawsuit

03/22/2012

It used to be that managers picked up the phone when seeking HR’s input on how to handle an employee problem. These days, they send an email. That can spell big trouble. Email, unlike a phone conversation, leaves a perfect record of what transpired. And courts don’t hesitate to use email as evidence.

You don’t always have to terminate harasser

03/22/2012

Sexual harassment runs the gamut, from out-and-out assault to un­­welcome flirting. No sane em­­ployer would hesitate to fire someone who physically harmed a co-worker. But for less severe, isolated incidents, less drastic action may be reasonable—as long as it solves the problem.

How to make ‘no unauthorized OT’ policy work

03/22/2012
The first step to controlling overtime costs is to establish a sound policy forbidding unauthorized extra work for hourly employees. But a “no unauthorized overtime” policy is just the beginning. It’s what you do after implementing the policy that counts.

Co-workers marry: Can you tell one to resign?

03/21/2012

It’s perfectly legitimate to try to prevent allegations of sexual harassment and favoritism by instituting a policy banning romantic relation­ships between co-workers—or between certain types of co-workers, like supervisors and subordinates. But what if two employees get married?

OSHA finds violations at St. Cloud veterans facility

03/14/2012
St. Cloud Veterans Affairs Health Care System facility faces 19 health and safety violations after OSHA inspectors found eight repeat safety violations for such hazards as inadequate guardrails, blocked exit routes and failure to protect workers against electrical shocks.

Beware overly broad drug policies, which could violate ADA rules about revealing a disability

03/14/2012
The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals has handed a significant victory to the EEOC, allowing the agency to continue to supervise settled cases. The impact: Employers should expect continued EEOC charges even after the ink is dry on their settlements.

Immediate harassment danger? Protect victims

03/14/2012

Sexual harassment is always a serious issue that warrants fast corrective action. In most cases, it’s appropriate to simply separate the alleged harasser and victim while you investigate. But more immediate help may be in order if the harasser and the victim are traveling together or isolated.

Tech training goes online for Verizon employees

03/14/2012
Verizon employees have logged more than 9 million training hours, including more than 60,000 hours for front-line sales and service representatives who learned to use new computer technology.

Seek ways to show worker didn’t feel harassed

03/13/2012

Employees have to prove two things when they allege they had to work in a sexually hostile environment. They have to persuade the court that, objectively, the environment was toxic. They also have to show that subjectively they felt harassed. Smart employers can attack the second claim …