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HR Management

Quiz for managers: Documenting discipline the legal way

06/14/2011

If an employee ever sues, you need to have strong documentation of performance, behavior and discipline issues. Managers sit on the front lines of the documentation battlefield. Have your supervisors take our quiz to test their knowledge of documentation do’s and don’ts. Plus, learn three documentation rules every manager must know.

Build a bonus plan for an economy on the mend

06/14/2011

After two years of painful payroll reductions, some employers are considering pay raises. In many organizations, pay hikes will come in the form of variable compensation plans. Experts say these two tactics can help HR pros create variable pay plans that strike a balance between risk, reward and fiscal stability.

If you needed legal advice on an employment law issue, what would you do?

06/14/2011
When HR Weekly readers and users of www.theHRSpecialist.com need employment law advice, they don’t look for just any old lawyer.

To catch a thief: First document suspicion, then respond evenhandedly

06/14/2011

Employee theft is a big problem for some employers. Even so, don’t make the mistake of accusing someone unless you have solid evidence he or she is the culprit. Instead, document your suspicions and consider whether to call police or conduct your own investigation. Then, if possible, try to catch the thief in the act.

State Attorney General seeks workers’ comp records for prison

06/10/2011
Attorney General Lisa Madison has ordered Central Management Services (CMS), the state agency that processes workers’ compensation payments, to turn over records relating to 230 claims from correctional officers at Menard State Prison. The claims cover repetitive stress injuries allegedly linked to the locking mechanisms on the cells at the prison.

When misbehavior demands termination, it’s best to stick with one reason for firing

06/10/2011
Here’s an important reminder to heed when you must discipline employees: If an employee commits a major rule violation that justifies termination, rely on that reason alone. Resist the temptation to pile on additional reasons. It may make defending a lawsuit that much easier.

5 ways to ease employees’ pain from high gas prices

06/10/2011
With gas prices bouncing around near the $4-per-gallon mark, some employers are looking again at ways to help employees keep their tanks filled—or at least get to work each day. Here are some options for you and your employees:

Tap into new online portal for I-9 resources

06/09/2011
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services last month unveiled I-9 Central, a new online resource center that pulls together all the agency’s information and advice about Form I-9, Employee Eligibility Verification.

What can we do to protect ourselves? A worker leveled threats after we fired him

06/08/2011
Q. We recently fired an employee because of insubordination and anger-management issues. The termination meeting, not surprisingly, didn’t go well and the employee became very agitated. He made some statements that could be interpreted as vague threats against his supervisor and our company. Is there anything we can or should do to protect ourselves from this former employee?

Court upholds $40 million verdict for Xcel lineman

06/08/2011
A lineman for Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy will collect $40 million from Qwest Telephone as a result of a 2004 accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down.