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HR Management

What should we keep in personnel files?

08/23/2012
Q. Does Pennsylvania law specify what we should keep in personnel files?

‘Textual’ harassment? OMG! Develop policy B4 you face lawsuit

08/23/2012
One of the most dangerous smartphone functions (from the employer perspective) is also one of the simplest: sending text messages. Considering the rise in harassment claims based on texts, employers should develop policies addressing textual harassment in the workplace.

Track discipline in a way that allows easy recall

08/23/2012
You will never know which employee will sue or for what reason. That’s a good reason to carefully track all discipline and make the records easy to access.

Train supervisors on proper handling of FMLA return-to-work certifications

08/23/2012
Supervisors who handle employee return-to-work requests following FMLA leave must know what they are doing. Otherwise, your legal risk could rise significantly.

A friend indeed: Do Facebook users have privacy rights?

08/23/2012

At last count, the more than 900 million Facebook users have more than 125 billion “friends.” But in the workplace, who is really your friend on Facebook? In this recent case, a manager strong-armed an employee to get access to a co-worker’s Facebook page. Is that an invasion of privacy?

Don’t bury arbitration agreement in handbook

08/21/2012
The Court of Appeal of California has ruled that an arbitration agreement hidden deep in the recesses of an employee handbook can’t be en­­forced. The provision didn’t stand out, didn’t require a signature and could be changed by the employer at any time. The court said that rendered it unconscionable.

OSHA won’t let Illinois whistle-blowers be railroaded

08/21/2012
Three whistle-blowers will collect more than $650,000 after two different railroads fired them following workplace accidents. OSHA concluded the three men were wrongfully accused of safety violations to divert blame for workplace hazards.

Illinois ‘Facebook Law’ bans seeking employee passwords

08/21/2012
Gov. Pat Quinn has signed legislation barring employers from requesting job applicants’ or employees’ social media passwords. Dubbed the “Face­­­book Law,” the new law is intended to protect employees’ private communications from the prying eyes of prospective or current bosses.

Got a hugger on your hands? He spells trouble

08/21/2012
Having a good sexual harassment policy in place doesn’t mean much if your supervisors ignore it. Take, for example, someone who is what we might call “touchy feely.”

Make it easy for employees to work when, where they want

08/21/2012
The easier your organization makes it for employees to access work files from home—or from anywhere outside the office—the more time they will spend working before and after their scheduled hours. The more technology your organization’s employees can take home with them, the more productive they’ll be.