Category: HR Management & Compliance
There are dozens of details to take care of in the day-to-day operation of your department and your company. We give you case studies, news updates, best practices and training tips that keep your organization fully in compliance with ever-changing employment law, and you fully aware of emerging HR trends.
Liars Never Disappoint, and Other HR Investigation Tips
As we saw in yesterday’s Advisor, the HR manager’s expertise and experience in conducting investigations is always under the spotlight. Today, our expert shares one additional tip for conducting investigations, and we get a few more tips from the HR Red Book®. Give liars a chance to lie, and they never disappoint, says Mike Soltis, […]
Hiring: Do We Really Need an At-Will Statement in All Employee Documents?
We are in the process of reworking all of our selection and hiring paperwork. I’m trying to insist on strong at-will language throughout, from application to offer letter to handbook. But our management is trying to improve retention and wants to brand the company as “a great place to work.” They think the at-will language […]
Technology: Can We Prohibit Employees From Using Their Cell Phones at Work?
We are a school that teaches developmentally disabled adults, and we want to tell our teachers that they are not allowed to use their cell phones while class is in session. Will we get in trouble if we do this? — A School in Los Angeles
You’re the Expert: How Can I Avoid Family Responsibility Discrimination Claims?
In every issue, we take one reader’s question and ask our other readers to weigh in. Here’s what you had to say about a recent question:
Benefits: What’s the Extent of Our Risk Following the New U.S. Supreme Court 401(k) Ruling?
I’ve read about the new 401(k) Supreme Court case. How far back can employees sue us if they claim we mishandled their retirement accounts? And how can we protect ourselves now for something that might have already happened? — Anonymous
BusinessWeek’s Bestseller List
BusinessWeek ranks business books that are the most recent bestsellers and provides a short summary. 1. StrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup’s Now, Discover Your Strengths by Tom Rath. Are you unsure where your true talents lie? Do you feel that you are both a person who gets […]
You’re the CSI: Will Your Investigation Meet a Jury’s Expectations?
If you carry out misconduct investigations, how good should they be? As good as the jury thinks they should be, say today’s experts. And that better be pretty good, because juries expect a lot from HR. Most organizations are not particularly sophisticated in their investigation policies and procedures, say attorneys Michael Soltis and Allison Bogosian, […]
Heat Illness: What Must We Do to Protect Outdoor Workers in the Summer Heat?
We employ a number of workers in outdoor jobs during the summer. With summer heat coming on, are there Cal/OSHA requirements we need to comply with in this regard? —Sarah G., HR Manager in Marina del Rey
The New ‘Wage Slaves’: Readers Talk Back
By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady A few weeks ago, BLR’s CEO wrote an e-pinion in this space called “BlackBerry® at the Beach,” a reference to expectations that workers be available 24/7/365. He expressed his e-pinion that lower level exempts, ineligible for overtime, are the new “wage slaves.” Guess what? Readers agreed! Here’s Bob’s […]