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HR Management

Set rules on personal use of company cars

06/01/2006

During his lunch break, an employee at a California car dealership drove a company car on a personal errand. He rear-ended another car and injured the driver, who sued the car dealership and won $277,662 in damages. The dealership’s handbook offered no specifics regarding personal use of company property …

FMLA absence shouldn’t trigger attendance penalty

06/01/2006

Q. We have a point system for absences and lateness. Our no-fault attendance policy states that if employees call off after the start of their shift, they’ll receive two points. What if the reason for the absence is covered by the FMLA? Should the employee still receive the two points? —C.S., Florida

Fire employee for positive cocaine test

06/01/2006

Q. We are a small but growing construction company, and we don’t have formal policies in place. Recently, one of our employees was involved in an accident at a construction site. This is his third accident. After the second time, we had him sign a warning notice that said he’d be terminated if it happened again. We sent him for drug testing after this third accident and he came back positive for cocaine. We want to terminate him. But we suspended another worker who tested positive for marijuana. Can we fire him? —B.O., Pennsylvania

Rid handbooks of risky outdated policies

06/01/2006

If it’s been awhile since the last overhaul of your employee handbook, you may be courting danger. Establish a regular revision schedule for your handbook, updating it once a year or whenever significant statutory changes occur …

Clarify if (and when) employees can drive company car for personal use

06/01/2006

Don’t leave any wiggle room in your policies regarding when employees can use company vehicles for personal use. Make those policies clear and precise. If you don’t provide understandable direction to employees, a court could interpret that as implied consent …

Weed out costly workers’ comp classification errors

06/01/2006

Insurers incorrectly calculate workers’ compensation premiums for 30 to 40 percent of employers. You can help slash premium costs, and become a hero to your CEO, by knowing what mistakes to look for …

On-Site RN Saves Time, Expense

06/01/2006

SRA International Inc. in Fairfax, Va., provides an on-site RN whom employees and their families may visit or call with all kinds of medical and wellness issues …

Clarify the essential functions before rejecting accommodation bid

05/01/2006

You can reject a disabled employee’s accommodation request (or refuse to hire a person) if the individual isn’t able to perform the "essential functions" of the job, even with an accommodation. But many ADA failure-to-accommodate lawsuits hinge on which tasks are considered essential …

FMLA users can shop around for favorable medical opinion

05/01/2006

When an employee shows you a medical certification that says she has a serious condition qualifying her for FMLA leave, you don’t have to blindly accept the doctor’s word. You can ask for a second opinion. But here’s what many employers don’t realize: Employees can do the same thing …

Check your ‘ethical pulse’: 4 indicators of a bad decision

05/01/2006

Before you act on a hastily made decision, ask these questions to see if it passes ethical muster.