Archives
More Easy-to-Make, But Hard-to-Defend Supervisor HR Mistakes
In yesterday’s Advisor, we shared common mistakes supervisors make. Today, more tips and an introduction to a supervisor training system that teaches supervisors how to discipline—and do 49 other tasks. In addition to those presented yesterday, Jonathan Segal, a partner with Wolf, Block, Schorr and Solis-Cohen in Philadelphia, offers two more common mistakes supervisors make, […]
Dress Codes
Discipline: What Should We Do When an Employee Refuses to Sign a Disciplinary Form?
After discussing discipline with an employee, we always ask the person to sign the disciplinary form so there is a record that we talked with the employee about the issue. Quite often, the person refuses to sign. What do we do if an employee sues us someday? Would a court accept a document that has […]
Dude, Here Comes the Torch!
My love of “The Office” causes me to lament these weeks where we don’t get a new episode (or even repeat) to enjoy. But while I certainly miss my weekly dose of Michael and gang, I need not look further than our very own United States Supreme Court to provide us with more scintillating material […]
Driving Matters: Cell Phone Laws in Effect Soon
Starting July 1, it will be illegal in California to drive while using a cell phone, unless the phone is equipped with a hands-free device. Also as of July 1, teens under age 18 can’t drive while using a cell phone—even using a hands-free device. Teens also can’t drive while using any other mobile service […]
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High
Employment law editor Michael Maslanka reviews the book Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler. Review highlights tactics in book for effective communication between supervisors and employees. Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High‘s big idea: There are tactics you can […]
Supervisor Writers’ Block: 6 Common Mistakes That Weaken Documentation
Everyone agrees that supervisors need to document their HR actions, but many have writers’ block. Just remember, says attorney Jonathan Segal, you didn’t hire them for this skill. Here are common mistakes, and ideas for doing it better. The hardest part of writing a discipline memo is writing the first sentence, so give your supervisors […]
Not Sweating the Small Stuff Can Be Expensive
By Donovan Plomp McCarthy Tetrault When employees are terminated in Canada, unless they have been fired for “cause” (such as theft) employers have an obligation to provide common law “reasonable notice” of termination or pay in lieu of reasonable notice. Unless the amount of reasonable notice is clearly set out in an employment agreement, it […]
FMLA Medical Certification: What You Can and Can’t Get Out of It
There’s not much more annoying than FMLA medical certification. You finally get the employee to turn it in, and it’s useless: “May need to stay home sometimes” or “Employee shouldn’t lift too much.” What to do! In Yesterday’s Advisor, we talked about new challenges posed by the FMLA. Today we tackle one of the most […]