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Issues to consider before monitoring e-mail

09/09/2008

Q. If we suspect an employee is violating a company policy prohibiting harassment, can we monitor the employee’s e-mails? …

HR Must Referee Employees’ McCain-Obama Debates: Know the Law

09/09/2008
John McCain and Barack Obama aren’t the only people embroiled in political debates this fall. So are some of your employees. And their water-cooler conversations may turn especially heated in the next few weeks. How HR handles political speech may spell the difference between workplace civility and civil war.

Take action to prevent customers from harassing employees

09/09/2008
Employees are entitled to work in a harassment-free environment—and that includes more than freedom from harassment by supervisors and co-workers. Employers also have to take reasonable steps to protect workers from harassment by customers, clients and others over which the employer has some control …

You can’t ignore—or excuse—Offensive cultural symbols

09/09/2008
There’s no excuse for ignorance when it comes to racially hostile symbols and speech in the workplace. Employers that ignore harassing co-workers—hiding their heads in the sand or relying solely on handbooks that tell employees how to complain—may be setting themselves up for a losing lawsuit …

Restaurant makes good after religious discrimination slip-up

09/09/2008
Maryam Abdi, a 16-year-old who was denied a job at an Old Country Buffet restaurant because of her Islamic headscarf, has been hired for the position she sought. Abdi applied for a part-time cashier position at the company’s Fridley restaurant in July. The manager who interviewed her reportedly asked whether she would be willing to remove her headscarf to comply with the restaurant’s uniform policy …

Publix sexual harassment reporting policy holds up in court

09/08/2008
The Publix supermarket chain has won a partial victory in a sexual harassment case that spotlighted “nauseating” behavior by a store manager. The only bright spot for the grocer: The victim’s failure to properly report harassment means Publix may be liable only for retaliation …

Disney revises gun policy

09/08/2008
After firing one employee in a showdown over Florida’s new guns-at-work law, Disney has taken a small step back. It released a revised policy in August that allows employees who don’t work at Walt Disney World Resort to keep guns in their cars, in accordance with state law …

Walt Disney World dilemma spotlights religious discrimination issues

09/08/2008
Sukhbir Channa, a practicing Sikh, has sued Walt Disney World after the theme park fired him for allegedly not having the “Disney look.” Channa wears a turban, beard and long hair—practices required by his religious beliefs. This is a case in which a company’s dress code collides with workplace diversity, and it may be a sign of more conflict to come …

By the Numbers: Which functions does HR outsource?

09/05/2008

Retirement plan administration and health and wellness programs lead the list of functions HR departments ask outside firms to perform …

10 real-life proven ways to retain your best employees

09/05/2008

At Florida-based Baptist Hospital, the CEO declared an all-out war on turnovers, pulling out all the stops to tear down typical corporate walls and retain his best workers. That CEO is one of the corporate leaders who “gets it,” according to Greg Smith, author of 401 Proven Ways to Retain Your Best Employees.