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HR Management

Firing OK for breaking no-dating policy?

02/22/2012
Q. Our company policy prohibits managers from dating subordinates. I have just learned that a manager has violated this rule. May we terminate him?

Employee resigns in the middle of litigation? Courts unlikely to order you to change policies

02/22/2012
When courts find that an employee has been discriminated against, they often order the employer to end the practice or policy that was the basis for the lawsuit. But when the employee voluntarily quits before the case is over, that remedy isn’t available.

Do you have an official policy that regulates romantic relationships between co-workers?

02/21/2012
In the workplace, love may be in the air, but most employers turn a blind eye.

6 ways–beyond ‘fixing’ the employees–to improve productivity

02/17/2012
When productivity dips, it seems logical to blame employees for not engaging in the job. But that might not be what’s going on. The problem: Identifying what that “something” is that’s sapping productivity—and getting rid of it. Six factors to examine:

5 tips to take the hassle out of scheduling summer vacations

02/16/2012

Summer is still a long way off, but you can be certain employees are already eyeing the July calendar in hopes of grabbing the prime weeks to block off for their summer vacations. You’ll probably be stuck refereeing who gets which days. Here’s some help from HR pros:

Handle serial complainer with the same professional skill you use with everyone else

02/15/2012
Handle serial complainers as you do one-time complainers. Investigate the claims, fixing legitimate gripes and rejecting all the rest. If the chronic complainer sues, chances are the court will realize that you’ve been dealing with someone who is habitually crabby.

More than just paper: Sexual harassment policy won’t work without supervisor training

02/15/2012
Employers can create all the anti-harassment policies they want and still end up liable for sexual har­­ass­­ment. The key to a successful policy is action. The policy must work. And the policy won’t work if supervisors ignore it or aren’t trained how to implement it.

How do you keep track of your organization’s HR data?

02/14/2012
You can have your fancy technology. I’ll stick with paper, thank you very much.

Policies are key to handling workplace romance

02/14/2012
Romance may be in the air at your workplace this Valentine’s Day. A 2011 survey by CareerBuilder.com found that 40% of those polled said they have dated a co-worker. But while Cupid shoots arrows, workplace romances often blow up in a liability minefield.

Whistle-blowing AirTran pilot wins reinstatement, $1 million

02/13/2012
OSHA has ordered Orlando-based AirTran to pay $1 million in damages after it found the airline retaliated against a pilot reporting safety problems.