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Employee Relations

7 common employee gripes (and how to silence them)

06/01/2007

Educate employees about the value of disability insurance

06/01/2007

Thirty percent of employees between the ages of 35 and 65 will become disabled for at least 90 days at least once during their working years … That means you can count on a steady stream of short-term disability insurance claims. Do you know how much those claims cost your organization? Almost half of employers do not …

KPMG’s ‘Network of Women’ cuts turnover of female staff

06/01/2007

Nearly 80 percent of the female employees at New York-based KPMG think it’s a great place to work, up from 63 percent in 2004, a company survey shows. Sandra Bushby, director of women’s initiatives, says that’s because of the firm’s “Network of Women”…

Total-Compensation Statements: More important than ever

06/01/2007

For the first time in five years, HR pros who handle benefits are saying that employee retention is an even more important goal than cost control. The key to keeping good employees in your organization: Make sure they know the dollar value of their benefits packages …

After ‘Joke,’ SeaWorld Fires Employee for Shooting Threat

06/01/2007

When a SeaWorld employee told co-workers he idolized the Virginia Tech shooter and that he wanted to “do what happened at Virginia Tech here at SeaWorld,” SeaWorld promptly fired him and called the police …

‘How may I insult you?’ Rude salespeople ignite bias suits

06/01/2007

You’d think the sight of customers paying retail prices with real green money would be a sight for a salesperson’s sore eyes. That apparently wasn’t the case at a Dillard’s department store in Kansas City, which is now facing a messy lawsuit after a saleswoman shunned a customer …

‘Secret’ consensual love affair with supervisor doesn’t mean automatic employer liability

06/01/2007

While it’s never a good idea for someone with supervisory authority to engage in a sexual relationship with a subordinate, such an affair doesn’t always trigger employer liability …

Michigan supervisors can be personally liable for discrimination

06/01/2007

Can a supervisor be sued personally for alleged acts of discrimination in Michigan? Based on a January decision by the Michigan Court of Appeals, the answer is yes …

Docking pay isn’t legal; rounding time normally is

06/01/2007

Q. Is it permissible to dock pay for someone who clocks in late? We pay the employee for actual hours worked to the nearest quarter hour, but we also dock tardy employees an additional quarter hour.—P.P.

Indefinite suspension is retaliation, even without discharge

06/01/2007

When a company faces sexual harassment or other discrimination complaints, the investigation has to start as soon as possible. Sometimes that means suspending participants while you sort things out. A prompt conclusion to a thorough investigation is the key to avoiding retaliation charges when you tell everyone to take a “time out” …