HR Management

Investigate harassment, even if victim is hesitant

09/01/2004

Q. We’re afraid that one of our employees may have been subjected to discriminatory behavior. But she hasn’t filed a complaint. What should we do? Do we have an obligation to bring it up and investigate even if she declines? —S.P., Louisiana

Accommodate group prayer if it won’t cause ‘Hardship’

09/01/2004

Q. A group of our employees met during their break to have group prayer. A supervisor complained to our president, who instructed that we should notify employees that they can’t pray on break time. Nor can they pray during lunch unless they leave the building. Some employees are upset. Is this policy legal? —M.S., California

Sniff out suspicious FMLA requests with this 9-step plan

09/01/2004

Issue: Half of all HR professionals say they’ve approved FMLA requests that they believed weren’t legitimate. Risk: Employees who “work” the system to earn …

Your competitors are holding the line on pay raises

09/01/2004

Employers may be seeing some signs of an improved economy, but they’re not ready to commit to higher pay increases just yet, according to a new compensation-planning survey of 1,600 employers …

Heed new disability-access rules on building remodeling

09/01/2004

Issue: New federal rules say how far your organization must go to make its property accessible to disabled staff and customers. Risk: Ignoring the rules …

Top brass not listening? Scare ’em straight with true stories

09/01/2004

Issue: Many CEOs take a head-in-the-sand approach to employment-law threats. Risk: The top brass may tune you out if you simply tell them …

You can block staff from bringing co-workers to disciplinary meetings

08/01/2004

Good news: Employees in nonunion workplaces no longer can insist on co-workers joining them during investigatory meetings. You can legally deny such employee representation requests thanks to a new National Labor …

Trouble meeting Aug. 23 deadline on overtime rules? You’re not alone

08/01/2004

In April, the Labor Department unveiled new rules that redefine the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) definitions of “exempt employees” (not eligible for overtime) and “nonexempt employees” (eligible for overtime) for …

Tips & tactics from 2004 SHRM conference

08/01/2004

The HR Specialist joined more than 12,000 HR professionals in New Orleans this summer for the annual Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) conference. Here are some …

Birth-control health coverage jumps dramatically

08/01/2004

In 2004, 86 percent of employer health plans cover costs for birth-control choices, up from only 28 percent in 1993, says a new study published in the journal …