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Policies / Handbooks

Beware unreasonably tight deadlines for filing internal reports of sexual harassment

03/26/2019
The EEOC believes overly strict time limits tend to discourage reporting and absolve supervisors of responsibility for reporting. Plus, it may embolden harassers to repeat their harassment or escalate it.

The ‘silver bullet’ reason to make your employee handbook electronic

03/25/2019
We all know that an employee handbook confined to paper form can be tedious and expensive to update, but the reasons to consider a switch to an electronic format go far beyond cost and time considerations. “I really can’t emphasize one thing enough,” employment law attorney Anniken Davenport told a webinar audience in January, “which is that a properly implemented electronic version will allow management to track which employee accessed which section of the handbook, and when.”

Lawsuit alert: Beware disciplining for infractions of seldom-enforced rules

03/15/2019
Sometimes, supervisors get frustrated with workers they consider trouble makers because they complain all the time. Those bosses need to think twice before they retaliate by strictly enforcing work rules—especially if they have often ignored those rules in the past.

Get out the vote: Create a voting leave policy

03/12/2019
You can encourage voter turnout by implementing a voting leave policy. A voting leave policy shows you take the right to vote seriously.

Have a hotline? Take all complaints seriously

03/06/2019
Most employers have heard that setting up a hotline so employees can report discrimination will help them defend against lawsuits later. But that hotline can also bite the employer if it doesn’t take complaints seriously and try to fix reported problems.

NYC is first to ban bias on the basis of hairstyles

02/26/2019
The New York City Commission on Human Rights has issued guidance making clear that the city considers discrimination on the basis of someone’s hairstyle to be a subset of race discrimination.

No-fighting rule? Punish combatants equally

02/22/2019
You probably have a rule against any form of violence in the workplace. Make sure you uniformly discipline everyone involved in any altercation.

SUNY requires system-wide relationship policies

02/12/2019
Regulations set to take effect March 1 require all campuses in the State University of New York system to develop a “Sexual and Romantic Relationship” policy.

Centralized pay & promotion guidance is fine, but leave individual decisions to managers

01/29/2019
You may still face isolated lawsuits alleging discriminatory pay practices by a specific supervisor. However, that’s preferable to a potential class-action lawsuit on behalf of thousands of similarly situated employees across the company.

Reining in Cupid during office hours

01/23/2019
What can you do if you’re hit by cupid’s arrow at work? Follow these rules to avoid a messy situation.