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HR Management

HR’s loose lips can sink your company’s defense

02/07/2012
Sometimes in HR, you know more than you want to know. But as this new court ruling shows, sharing in­­side information with an employee isn’t a smart move … for your em­­ployer or your career.

Focus now on insurance renewal for 2013

02/06/2012
For most employers, open enrollment for health insurance benefits in 2012 has come and gone. So now’s the time for comp and benefits professionals to start planning for the next health insurance renewal go-round. An early start will give you a fighting chance to keep costs under control in 2013.

Can dermatologist tell worker to tone down the tan?

02/06/2012
Q. We’re a dermatology practice and one of our new em­­ployees is excessive with tanning. She has a dark tan and sometimes is sunburned. We promote the opposite of what she does. She also wears tight low-cut tops. Are we allowed to say something in both regards?

NLRB’s latest crack at social media policy? What a mess!

02/03/2012
In late January, the National Labor Relations Board released an “Operations Management Memo” that purports to offer additional guidance to employers and HR professionals concerned about employees’ use of social media. I can sum up the NLRB’s report in three words: What a mess.

OSHA scratches surface, finds unexpected chicken problems

02/03/2012
Some companies are careless, some are unlucky. Apparently Case Farm Chickens is both. Not only is the company facing $288,000 in fines for 61 OSHA violations, but it experienced an ammonia leak the day OSHA inspectors showed up at its Wineburg facility.

The HR Checklist: How would your practices stand up in court?

02/03/2012
If you’re ever hauled into court to testify in an employment lawsuit against your organization, what you say—and how you say it—can sink your defense … or help you win. Prepare yourself for any lawsuit by asking yourself these 10 questions:

Tell bosses: Follow 3 cardinal rules to document discipline

02/02/2012

To be successful, employee feedback should be routine, not a once-a-year event. In the same way, managers should make documentation of employee performance, behavior and discipline a regular habit. But how managers document their observations can mean the difference between winning and losing, should an employee ever decide to take you to court.

Is there a way to ensure sensitive investigation records remain confidential?

02/02/2012
Q. One of our employees has just filed an internal complaint claiming that she has been sexually harassed. We are concerned that if we discipline the alleged harasser based on our findings and note this incident in his personnel file, he may demand to inspect our investigation records. May we avoid this by maintaining a separate investigation file?

Be sure to document the effective date of all new disciplinary policies

02/02/2012
When you change a disciplinary policy, make sure you document exactly when the change went into effect. That way, an employee who is punished more severely can’t point to the earlier disciplinary actions as evidence he was unfairly singled out.

How to make ‘one rule’ discipline work

02/01/2012
If you want to streamline your employee manual and disciplinary process, you may be tempted to create one general misconduct rule. It might state, for example, “Violating company policies can result in discipline, up to and including termination.” But before you adopt such a rule, make sure HR is ready to administer it.