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

HR Management

Employers don’t have to be right–just honest

01/12/2012
Here’s something to remember the next time you agonize over discharging an employee for breaking a rule: While you should treat all employees honestly, you don’t have to conduct a mini trial to determine “guilt.” It’s enough to believe you had a legitimate reason to fire the employee—even if it later turns out you were wrong.

20 years is too late to file harassment suit

01/12/2012
Here’s some good news for employers that work hard to prevent sexual harassment. Employees who wait decades to report harassment won’t get far if their employer had an effective harassment policy and enforced it.

Should we retain copies of I-9 documents?

01/12/2012
Q. We recently decided to start making copies of documents that employees provide to complete their I-9 forms (driver’s license, etc.).  Do we need to go back and complete new I-9s for employees hired before this date or ask them to provide the documents again so we can make copies?

Give your Outlook a boost using smart add-on tools

01/11/2012

Because HR professionals work on a computer much of the day, Outlook is the workhorse that typically keeps their wheels moving. But what if you could add some power to those wheels? PC World recently published a list of downloads that can help “power up” your Outlook:

Follow the certification trail when you suspect employee is gaming medical leave

01/06/2012
When asked to provide FMLA certification of their serious health condition from a health care provider, some employees may realize they can’t. One answer? Fake it. What’s an employer to do? There are several approaches you can take.

Worker makes threats? That’s a firing offense

01/06/2012

Some employees are simply difficult to manage. They start argu­­ments and may see harassment or discrimination everywhere. But sometimes they cross a line, implying they could get violent. How you handle their complaints can spell the difference between winning and losing a lawsuit.

How to help disabled employees deal with emergencies

01/05/2012
A major focus of emergency planning concerns how to help people with disabilities. However, employers must remember that federal laws may restrict what employers can do in emergencies.

2012 enforcement trends in employment law: hiring and safety

01/05/2012
We’re now well into the first quarter of the year and already a few trends are becoming apparent in the way the federal government will enforce labor and employment laws in 2012. Two significant em­­phases will be hiring discrimination and workplace safety.

Can a dress code apply to just one employee?

01/05/2012
Q. Can we set a dress code policy that bars visible tattoos and multiple piercing on our receptionist but not other workers who have less public contact?

Unhappy employee? Carefully track complaints

01/05/2012

You know this employee—the one who’s never happy and always finds something to complain about. It may be tempting to ignore repeated complaints, but that’s probably a mistake. Carefully document all her gripes. Those records could come in handy later if she files a lawsuit.