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HR Management

Help employees ease holiday-season stress

11/01/2004
The most popular thing U.S. employers do to help employees alleviate holiday-related stress is to schedule holiday events during business hours …

Expect more safety complaints from Hispanic workers

11/01/2004
OSHA is pushing more information to Hispanics about workplace safety and their rights as whistle-blowers on your company’s safety violations.
OSHA recently added new sections to its Web site, including …

No pressure to ratchet up pay raises in 2005

11/01/2004
Issue: Even with the economy moving again, employers are playing it safe, budgeting for modest employee pay raises in 2005. Benefit: By pointing …

Consider switching to electronic I-9s; Congress gives the OK

11/01/2004
Issue: You’ll soon be allowed to process and store I-9 forms electronically. Benefit: Save time and money on I-9 processing, especially if your organization …

Congress gives OK to maintain I-9 records electronically

11/01/2004
Current law requires you to obtain a handwritten signature from each new hire on an I-9 Form to verify the person’s work eligibility. And you must retain each I-9 in paper …

Prepare for HIPAA’s final phase: the security rule

11/01/2004
It’s back … Just when you thought you’d heard the last word about complying with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the final compliance phase is just around the …

Skeptical of ‘Spouse’ on benefit plan? Ask for proof

11/01/2004

Q. A few of our employees have added their spouses to our health benefits plan. We’ve heard through the grapevine that some of these “couples” aren’t actually married. Can we check on this without being discriminatory? —L.C., Illinois

Enforce ‘truth statement’ on applications

11/01/2004
If your organization’s job application doesn’t include a “statement of accuracy,” add one fast. In signing, applicants promise they’ve given complete and accurate answers. Such statements provide a solid legal basis …

Bilingual bias: Don’t overwork staff who speak multiple languages

11/01/2004
You’re free to assign employees based on their foreign-language ability. For example, you can assign bilingual Spanish-speaking employees to serve customers who
speak Spanish.
But remind managers not to …

Erase ideas of ‘implied contract’ with repeated at-will statements

11/01/2004
Make sure all versions of your company policies, whether in employee handbooks, online policies or even offer letters, contain clear at-will employment statements.
As this ruling shows, you won’t be …