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HR Management

Padding your reasons for firing can build case against you

06/01/2000
Daniel McInnis was a full-time instructor until the new college president opted not to renew his contract. The president gave two reasons. But in his zeal to justify those reasons, he …

Tighten your policy on work authorization

06/01/2000
Three companies have recently settled federal charges of “document abuse” in hiring, with penalties totaling more than $270,000. The problem: Employers requested specific documents or asked for documents other than those …

Help employees protect their identity from theft

06/01/2000

Q. A few employees have complained that we use their Social Security numbers as their ID numbers. They’re concerned about potential theft of their identity. Is it legal for employers to use Social Security numbers for ID purposes? —D.T., Illinois

Subcontracting I-9 work won’t end your liability

06/01/2000

Q. We own a chain of restaurants. It has been a challenge for us to complete all of the I-9 forms and keep up with reverification of expired work authorizations. Is it legal for us to hire a company to handle these tasks for us? —A.M., Tennessee

Ban all age bias; states OK youth-bias claims

06/01/2000
Kimberly Zanni, a 31-year-old-account executive, was fired and replaced by an older, less qualified woman. One supervisor had told Zanni that she sounded …

Giving better-than-deserved reviews may be legal, but it’s unwise

06/01/2000
Six months after Richard Cullom began work as a staffing specialist at a Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital, his supervisor found his work …

Public employers can avoid comp-time cash payouts

06/01/2000
Public employers not only have the leeway to offer comp time to nonexempt workers, they can now force the workers to use it. Congress gave state and local governments the …

Watch for warning signs of workers’ comp fraud

06/01/2000

Q. We’ve had a number of suspicious injuries at work this year. We don’t want to jump to conclusions, but how can we determine if these injuries are part of a workers’ comp insurance fraud scheme? —K.H., Mississippi

Specify if workers must stay to collect bonuses

06/01/2000

Q. Our company pays quarterly and annual bonuses (depending on the position). If an employee is here throughout the entire quarter/year, but leaves before the bonuses are paid out, is he still entitled to the bonus? Our company has no written documentation stating that you must be employed at the time the bonus is paid. —J.S., Colorado

Green light given for disparate mental, physical benefits

05/01/2000
Seven federal appeals courts have now ruled that the Americans with Disabilities Act doesn’t keep you from offering a different level of benefits …