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HR Management

Don’t play ‘Name game’ with newly wed employees

10/01/2005

Q. One of our employees recently got married. She’s informally going by her new last name, but she hasn’t changed her name on her Social Security card to her married name and doesn’t plan to. We submit all payroll information using her maiden name. Do we face any liability? —L.K., Missouri

A surprise inspection can uncover discrimination before it’s too late

10/01/2005
There may be areas of your workplace that supervisors, and maybe even HR, rarely visit, such as locker rooms, loading docks and break rooms. But don’t take a “hear no evil, …

Check state, local laws on sexual-orientation bias

10/01/2005
No federal law grants job discrimination protection for people due to their sexual orientation or “gender identity,” but many employers are unaware that several state and local laws make workplace bias …

Automatic 401(k) enrollment to become more common

10/01/2005
Look for the U.S. Labor Department to issue proposed regulations by the end of 2005 that will encourage employers to automatically enroll employees in their 401(k) plans.
Currently, most employers …

Heed new driving-time limits for truck drivers

10/01/2005
If you employ commercial truck drivers, take note of new federal rules governing how much time they can drive before having to take breaks.
The U.S. Transportation Department rules took …

Involve all relevant managers in employee reviews

10/01/2005

Q. We have an employee who works for two different departments, under two different supervisors. Which supervisor should conduct the review, the one with the most seniority? —D.F., Illinois

Pitch your great ideas by brushing off the naysayers

10/01/2005
Issue: Winning over the higher-ups with your ideas is a key component to success.
Risk: “Negative Nellies” in your workplace can kill your best ideas unless you’re prepared to fend …

Prepare for a bigger role in Sarbanes-Oxley compliance

10/01/2005
Issue: Sarbanes-Oxley’s focus on HR requires you to do more to help your organization comply.
Benefit: Helping your organization meet SarbOx mandates enhances your role as a strategic partner.
…

Brace for higher state minimum wages

10/01/2005
Currently, 17 states set minimum wages above the $5.15 federal minimum and you can expect that number to rise. Two key reasons: The increasing pain at the gas pump and expected …

Employees can disobey bias-tainted orders

10/01/2005
When an employee refuses to carry out an order, supervisors may automatically think such insubordination is worthy of discipline or firing. Not so fast! That initial response, punish the employee, may …