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HR Management

New I-9, W-4 needed when employee changes name?

05/01/2006

Q. When employees get married, do we need new W-4s to show the new name? And do we need new I-9s (which, I assume, would require supporting documentation in the new name)? — M.G., Washington

Part of Sarbanes-Oxley law applies to all employers

05/01/2006

Q. I work for a nonprofit social service organization. Do such organizations have to comply with SOX rules? —J.M., New Jersey

Heed the legal limits of video monitoring in the workplace

05/01/2006
Monitoring employees with video cameras probably doesn’t violate employee privacy rights, but employers should make sure they don’t step over the line of reasonable privacy concerns, such as monitoring dressing rooms …

Learn hotel’s lesson: Don’t require English at all times

05/01/2006

If you have a good business reason, you can require employees to speak English on the job. But don’t go overboard. As a New York City hotel just found out, requiring English be spoken at all times, even in the employee breakroom, can spark an EEOC national-origin claim …

Beware the legal risk of nasty notes in customer files

05/01/2006

Do your employees make editorial comments about customer quirks in your internal files? Typically, it’s not a problem. But a recent lawsuit shows the legal dangers of making potentially slanderous comments about customers in internal documents …

Religious accommodations: Know when to say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’

05/01/2006

Employers need to keep their eye on a growing trend: a groundswell of support for more freedom to practice religion in the workplace. And support for the movement is coming from some unexpected quarters: the U.S. Supreme Court and a bipartisan coalition of U.S. senators …

How Long to Tolerate a ‘Disappearing’ Employee?

05/01/2006

Q. We’re a small business with eight employees. One employee frequently takes off for six to eight weeks with medical problems. She’s done this each year for the past three years. It’s a huge burden because very few people have her training, so we can’t hire a temp. How long do we have to allow her to disappear for months at a time? —M.S., Ohio

Can you search employee lockers, purses, desks?

05/01/2006

Q. Can we open an employee’s personal things, like her locker, purse or desk drawer, if we suspect her of stealing? —A.G., Connecticut

Do you need a music policy for the ‘iPod generation’?

05/01/2006

The advent of MP3 players, satellite radio and Internet-based music makes it easy to rock and roll at work. Such distractions can reduce employee productivity and even create create legal risks. Establish a music/noise policy before it becomes a problem …

Managers’ actions top list of employee pet peeves

05/01/2006

Ringing cell phones can be annoying, but people responding to a new Randstad survey say their biggest workplace frustrations relate to the way that they’re managed. Topping the list: being spoken to in condescending tones …