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

HR Management

Can we search an employee’s car if we think she’s using drugs at work?

06/17/2008
Q. We suspect an employee has been getting high at work. Over the past two weeks, co-workers have reported that the employee’s pupils were dilated and her speech was slurred. She stares out the window for extended periods of time, she fell while walking down the hall, her appearance is disheveled, and she takes multiple “rest breaks” to go to her car throughout the day. We want to search the employee’s car, but she refuses to let us. Can we search her car anyway? …

Why so few applicants can read: Graduation rates tell the tale

06/17/2008
According to a new study, “Diplomas Count 2008,” only 58% of Georgia students graduate from high school on time. The practical consequence for Georgia employers is an entry-level labor pool with poor basic skills. That means someone—most likely employers—will have to pick up the slack …

Get the most out of your next HR conference

06/17/2008

If you’re planning to attend next week’s Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) conference in Chicago—or any business conference for that matter—think about this: The work you do before the conference is just as important as what you do while you’re there. Here are five proactive steps you can take to maximize your conference experience.

Take Our HR I.Q. Test

06/17/2008
Test your knowledge of recent trends in employment law, comp & benefits and other HR issues with our mini-quiz. If you’re unhappy with your score, browse around www.theHRSpecialist.com, where you’ll find answers to tons of your HR questions. If you aced the quiz, give yourself the afternoon off!

5 Ways to Contain Workplace Negativity

06/17/2008
Left unchecked, a negative workplace usually becomes even more negative. Don’t let that happen to your HR team. These five steps can lighten the mood and restore productivity to your office.

Sting nets state worker who allegedly sold private data

06/11/2008
Yvette Beler, a data-input worker for Secretary of State Jesse White, has been charged with selling personal data about auto owners to an informant of the federal government …

Can we tap company phones to investigate possible theft?

06/11/2008
Q. Our company distributes steel from one of our warehouses. A substantial amount of product has gone missing. We suspect that our warehouse manager is conspiring with one of our former employees to take it, possibly creating a false paper trail to cover the theft. Our camera surveillance is not picking up any irregular activity on the loading dock. We believe the manager may be talking to the ex-employee from his office phone. Can we legally monitor the manager’s phone without violating any privacy rights that he might have? …

UAW, Caterpillar workers sue for the right to smoke

06/11/2008
The United Auto Workers (UAW) has filed an unfair labor practice charge against Caterpillar Inc., claiming the company has no right to ban smoking without negotiating the terms in collective bargaining. Peoria-based Caterpillar banned smoking in all its U.S. facilities effective June 1…

Identity theft and liability: How to reduce the risks facing your business

06/10/2008
How safe is the confidential customer information your company keeps? The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse says that, since February 2005, the personal information of 88 million people has been compromised by data security breaches at companies or government agencies …

E-Mail policies and the NLRA

06/10/2008
Q. I work in the HR department of a unionized company, and our CEO wants me to draw up an employee e-mail use policy. Can I restrict personal e-mail use without violating the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)? …