Policies / Handbooks

Ensure lack of clarity doesn’t cause liability

08/11/2016

Rules that are unclear, vague or poorly worded can spell trouble if they end up being applied differently to some employees and not others. That’s one reason you should pay careful attention to the language in your policies.

Ensure handbook asserts at-will employment

07/28/2016

If you have a handbook that provides workers with a limited right to contest proposed discipline, make sure it also has a very strong at-will statement.

Why your company’s biggest idiot is such a legal threat

07/18/2016

The National Labor Relations Board and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission may protect workers who wildly misinterpret your intentions. Here’s how to cope.

Zero-tolerance policies: an open door to trouble?

06/22/2016

On paper, zero-tolerance policies seem like a good idea: You warn employees that your organization will not tolerate even one instance of on-the-job misconduct. But life isn’t always so simple.

7 steps for handling employee complaints

06/20/2016

Each time HR receives an employee complaint about discrimination or harassment, it should follow these steps—consistently and fairly.

The Records Management Filing Cabinet: June ’16

06/09/2016

Employees recording; fire protection; locked flash drives

Insist that employees follow call-off rules

05/27/2016

Some employees think as long as they can get a doctor’s note certifying that they missed work due to a disability or a serious health condition, they can’t be punished. Not true!

Complying With the FLSA Overtime Rules: The Duties Test

05/18/2016

UPDATE: May 2016 On May 18, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor released its long-awaited update to the Fair Labor Standards Act’s overtime rules, which effectively double the salary threshold at which most salaried workers are exempt from being paid overtime, raising it from $23,660 to $47,476 per year. The new rules become effective December […]

Expense reports: An exercise in creative writing

05/10/2016

The number of improper expense report requests—from the surprising to the mundane—shows little sign of decline, says a new survey.

Employers: Display updated FMLA poster

05/05/2016

In May 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a new version of the FMLA poster that employers are required to hang in their workplaces. The big question: If you already have an FMLA poster in your workplace, must you display this new version? Here are the details, plus links to the new poster and employer’s guide …