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HR Management

‘Virtual officing’ allows Forest Service to retain top staff

02/01/2007

Some of the National Forest Service’s star employees have considered turning down promotions rather than relocating to major Forest Service locations in cities. Many have said they’d quit rather than abandon their rural lifestyles …

College sues feds over the right to post Christians-only job ads

02/01/2007

Geneva College in Beaver Falls recently filed a lawsuit against federal and state labor officials after it was asked to strike a Christianity requirement from help-wanted ads before posting them on Team Pennsylvania CareerLink …

TV station employee ordered to return stolen information

02/01/2007

A federal judge has ruled that CBS was correct in requesting that an employee at its Pittsburgh KDKA-TV station return all the confidential information she gathered from her boss’s desk and computer …

Headhunters Luring Your Staff? Fend ‘Em Off With Tough Tactics

02/01/2007

Your organization continuously spends time and money to replace employees wooed away by headhunters. You know the best defense against all turnover—including headhunters—is a workplace that values employees. But as a last resort, you can also turn to proactive anti-poaching strategies …

Phone call monitoring: Are you breaking the law?

02/01/2007

A growing number of states require two-party consent to any monitoring or recording of business phone calls. And, if a recent court case is any guide, those states are ready to punish businesses that violate the rules even if the calls originate in a different state …

References, Background Checks

02/01/2007

HR Law 101: Make it your policy never to hire a candidate without a reference/background check. Your organization could be held liable for “negligent hiring” or “failure to warn” should the employee turn violent on the job. If the employee’s past history would have revealed a problem but you didn’t spot it because you didn’t check, the courts will say you “should have known.” Your firm not only might have to pay damages but also would suffer a loss of reputation …    
 

 

‘My lawyer will be in contact’: Enough notice to preserve records

02/01/2007

A New Jersey appellate court recently granted a new trial to a former Paine Webber employee who claimed the company fired her for filing a sexual harassment complaint. During trial, the employee claimed Paine Webber withheld or destroyed critical documents …

When (and how) can Pa. employees peek in their personnel files?

02/01/2007

The Pennsylvania Inspection of Employment Records Law guarantees employees the right to view their personnel files at work …

Should we keep copies of I-9 documentation?

02/01/2007

Q. My boss is concerned about the increased penalties against employers who hire illegal aliens. He wants to be sure our procedures are in keeping with the best practices. One question I have: What do we do with the documents that new employees present to comply with the I-9 requirements? Should we keep copies of them? And, if so, where? —G.S.

Health coaches can help reduce hospital visits, care costs

02/01/2007

Employees with chronic health conditions like diabetes could make fewer trips to the emergency room if someone would check in with them every couple of weeks to make sure they’re taking care of themselves …