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HR Management

Updating your policy, but not your handbook

06/03/2010
Q. Our employee handbook says that employees are paid for 40 hours per week as long as they put in at least 38 hours. We recently told employees that, from now on, we pay only for actual hours worked. Do we have to change the handbook, too?

Failing to investigate nebulous charges isn’t a federal case–and it’s not retaliation

06/02/2010

Employees who complain about alleged discrimination are protected from retaliation for doing so. In order for the employee to win a lawsuit, the retaliatory act must be adverse—that is, it must be an act that affects the employee in more than an inconsequential way. In a recent case, an employee claimed that by merely ignoring her complaint, her employer was retaliating. The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals nixed that idea.

Know the one key limit on at-will employment

06/02/2010

Because Texas is an “at-will” state, employers are generally free to fire employees for any reason or no reason. Of course, firing employees under circumstances that would be illegal under any specific employment law won’t fly. But other than that, there is only one other discharge reason that puts employees outside at-will employment: Employers can’t fire employees for refusing to perform an illegal act.

Keep careful records so you can show why you punished similar behavior differently

06/01/2010

Employers sometimes think that if they have a broad workplace rule in place, they have to punish everyone who breaks that rule exactly the same way. That’s not necessarily true. The key is to make sure you can document why one employee deserved a more severe punishment than another. Two cases illustrate how to go about individualizing punishment:

Unexpected bias worry: denial of training

05/28/2010

Remind bosses that everyone who is qualified for training should have access to development opportunities, and that hand-selecting subordinates to attend training can be discrimination. Note: Be sure they understand that older employees are also entitled to training—even if it seems reasonable that they may quit or retire soon.

The absent-minded employee: How to get absenteeism under control … legally

05/28/2010
The costs of employee absenteeism—reflected in lost production, overtime and temporary replacements for the absent worker—can add up quickly. The best way to combat the problem is with a clear policy, careful documentation, consistent application of the policy and progressive discipline.

Warn bosses: E-mail is smoking-gun evidence

05/27/2010

The risk isn’t new—e-mail has been around for a while. But managers and supervisors still continue to play fast and loose with their e-comments. E-mail messages are increasingly finding their way into employment-law court battles. Remind managers in the hiring process that it’s typically better to pick up the phone or walk down the hall to discuss a candidate than it is to send an e-mail.

How liable are we for an employee’s accident that occurred while he was on the phone?

05/26/2010
Q. One of our managers was talking on his company cell phone while driving when he struck and injured a pedestrian. Can the pedestrian sue the company?

What factors should I consider before firing a new employee for excessive absences?

05/26/2010
Q. We have a new administrative employee in our medical office who missed 22 days of work in her first nine weeks. She has doctor excuses for illnesses for most of the days, but my front office is a shambles. Can I put her on written warning for excessive absences? Can I terminate her?

Don’t rely on software alone to determine employee’s FMLA eligibility

05/26/2010

Many employers use software to track FMLA eligibility. Most of the time that works fine. But if you decide to terminate an employee because the software told you she wasn’t eligible for FMLA leave, double-check the calculation first. If you confirm she hasn’t worked a total of 52 weeks, you can terminate her.