Author: Stephen Bruce, PhD, PHR

SHRM Conference Special: Supervisors Avoid Tough Conversations—Unless You Give Script

Managers and supervisors will go to great lengths to avoid tough conversations with employees. Unfortunately, avoidance isn’t the best approach. So give your supervisors and managers scripts to follow, says Paul Falcone. Falcone, a prolific writer on HR topics and a popular speaker, is VP, Employee Relations, at Time Warner Cable in Los Angeles. He […]

HRDA Interview: Are Scanned Documents Legal in Court?

By Stephen Bruce, PhD, PHR Just My E-pinion Scanned documents are legal, says attorney Catherine Moreton Gray, but you must be careful and consistent in your procedures if you want to be sure they’ll hold up in court. Gray, an attorney with Robinson & Cole in Hartford, Connecticut, answered HRDA’s questions during a recent interview. […]

Walking the Tightrope of State and Federal FMLA

In yesterday’s Advisor, we featured examples of state and federal family and medical leave (FML) interactions. Today, we’ll look at some critical considerations plus take a look at the “FMLA Bible.” Here are today’s major considerations regarding interplay between state and federal FML law: Intermittent Leave Many of the state FML laws do not provide […]

With State Family Leave laws, Brace Yourself for Double Dipping

If your state has its own family and medical leave (FML) law, in some circumstances employees may be able to take both leaves, one after the other, and there’s nothing you can do about it. To deal with federal/state family leave issues, the first step is to determine which laws apply to you as a […]

Fines for Non-Compliance Add Up Fast in California

Penalties for noncompliance with California wage and hour laws can add up surprisingly fast, says attorney Christopher C. Hoffman. And it’s surprisingly easy to run afoul of California‘s many tricky requirements. (See yesterday’s CED to read Hoffman’s tips on rest periods and meal breaks in California.)

Party+Alcohol=Harassment+Liability

In yesterday’s Advisor, we covered the alcohol-related challenges of company social events; today we’ll examine harassment and injury issues and take a look at a unique program that “writes” your policy for social activities and dozens of other critical HR policies. Sexual Harassment at Social Functions Courts in many states have found that unwanted sexual […]

Picnic, Ballgame, Social Event

There’s nothing like a picnic or a party to boost morale, build teamwork, and reward employees for a job well done. But as with many things HR, there’s a downside: Failure to clarify and enforce policies can lead to unexpected claims, such as claims for workers’ compensation or sexual harassment, or liability. Serving Alcohol The […]

Something Special for HR in the Hurd/HP Fiasco

It may seem to be just another in a long line of missteps—or misleaps—by corporate bad boys, but in this week’s HP debacle, there’s a special twist for HR managers. HR is always trying to find a way to convince the board that training is worthwhile, but for the most part, to do that they’ve […]

Grade Inflation, Essential Functions—More Mistakes Managers Make

In yesterday’s Advisor, we covered basic mistakes managers make; today, more expensive mistakes in performance management and job descriptions, and an introduction to a job description program that will eliminate those mistakes.  [Go here for mistakes 1 to 5.] Mistake #6: Grade Inflation Too often, managers give satisfactory or higher ratings for poor performance. This […]