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Employee Relations

Harassment complaint earns retaliation protection if complaint was made in good faith

09/08/2008
Many employees seem to believe that they can get job protection and immunity from reasonable discipline just by complaining to management about alleged harassment. But employees who make pests of themselves by reporting every comment they overhear or interaction they see aren’t automatically protected from retaliation …

Track discipline to ensure equal treatment for equal offenses, regardless of protected class

09/08/2008
Sometimes, it seems as if everyone belongs to some protected class, or a combination of classes. Since any disparate treatment for the same rule violation may trigger a discrimination lawsuit, HR should be prepared to show that no employee in any particular classification is singled out for more severe punishment. Given the number of possible combinations, that’s a difficult task …

Staffing firm CEO accused of skimming $182 million in taxes

09/08/2008
Frank Amodeo, head of Mirabilis Ventures in Orlando, has been indicted on 27 counts of conspiracy and fraud for allegedly stealing $182 million in payroll taxes from thousands of businesses across the state …

Did business grad bilk UM workers in Ponzi scheme?

09/08/2008
Andres Pimstein, a graduate of the University of Miami (UM) School of Business, didn’t venture far from his alma mater before putting all his hard-earned business savvy to use. He is accused of luring dozens of university employees into investing in what turned out to be a $30 million Ponzi scheme …

Consider impact of high prices on hourly employees

09/05/2008

s the prices of gas and groceries continue to climb, your organization’s hourly employees might be having a hard time making ends meet—a problem that could create stress and distraction at work. Consider adding some inexpensive extras for employees who have to choose between buying quality food and filling their gas tanks so they can drive to work …

‘Pool’ together to ease pain at the pump

09/05/2008

With gas prices near historic highs, some organizations are attempting to help out. Nearly 57% of large and small companies have launched at least one program to beat the high cost of commuting, a new Challenger, Gray & Christmas survey reports.

10 real-life proven ways to retain your best employees

09/05/2008

At Florida-based Baptist Hospital, the CEO declared an all-out war on turnovers, pulling out all the stops to tear down typical corporate walls and retain his best workers. That CEO is one of the corporate leaders who “gets it,” according to Greg Smith, author of 401 Proven Ways to Retain Your Best Employees.

How to manage pay-for-Performance in today’s harsh new business environment

09/05/2008

If your organization has plenty of employees, but not enough of the skilled workers critical to surviving a down business cycle, you’re going to have to change your compensation plan. Three changes pave the way—finally!—for a pay-for-performance system that works.

Progressive discipline best approach with problem employee

09/05/2008

Some employees may believe their co-workers and supervisors are out to get them because of race, sex or some other protected characteristic. Then they look for evidence to support those beliefs. They catalog every slight for future reference—maybe in a lawsuit. Your best defense against such litigation is a well-established progressive discipline system …

Political activity in the workplace: Can you discipline employees?

09/05/2008

The upcoming elections will highlight partisan politics and controversial issues affecting employees. No doubt, your workplace will be the site of some political discussions—and maybe overtly political activity. You need to understand when you can and cannot discipline employees for political activity …