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HR Management

The HR I.Q. Test: February ’12

02/01/2012

Test your knowledge of recent trends in employment law, comp & benefits and other HR issues with our monthly mini-quiz.

DOL: It’s time to formalize FMLA military family leave

01/31/2012
The U.S. Department of Labor has proposed new FMLA rules that would formalize several statutory amendments that expanded military family-leave rights in 2008 and 2009. The new rules would officially incorporate into the FMLA amendments that were tacked onto the National Defense Authorization Act. If you’re covered by the FMLA, these rules will apply to you.

Documented insubordination can often sink employee’s discrimination lawsuit

01/31/2012

Employees who sue for discrimination have to prove they are members of a protected class, were qualified for the position they held, were terminated or subjected to another adverse action and were treated less favorably than employees outside their protected class. Employers that can show the em­­ployee was insubordinate can quickly win such cases.

You never have to tolerate fights in the workplace

01/27/2012
Violence in the workplace is a harsh reality, but employers must provide a safe work environment. That may mean terminating employees who threaten other employees or get into fights.

Staff Twitter accounts: Who ‘owns’ the followers?

01/27/2012
If your employees post on their work-related Twitter accounts, a pending lawsuit in a federal California court could answer an important question: Who owns that Twitter “handle” and those followers when the employee leaves?

HR issues are a hot topic in state legislatures

01/26/2012
With Congress focused on election-year politics, keep an eye on your state for potential changes to employment laws, says the Society for Human Resource Management. Some issues on tap: background checks, paid sick leave, mandatory E-Verify and workplace bullying.

Consider having a witness to employee meetings

01/25/2012
When it comes to litigation, who said what is often the crux of the matter. That’s why it’s important to have a witness during any meeting involving bias complaints.

Save on legal fees: The 7 most common law firm billing errors

01/24/2012
If part of your job is dealing with outside attorneys and reviewing their invoices, know what kind of overcharges to look for. You can save the company money and prove your bottom-line impact to the top brass. Here are the seven most common errors to watch for.

UCLA, professor charged in lab tech’s 2009 death

01/20/2012
A laboratory fire that killed a UCLA technician has resulted in felony charges against the university and Pro­­fessor Patrick Harran, who ran the lab.

FMLA: Flare-ups every Friday? Check it out

01/20/2012
While employees with chronic medical conditions are typically entitled to FMLA leave, such intermittent absences are fertile ground for abuse. After all, an employee on intermittent leave can simply call in and say his condition is acting up. But that doesn’t mean you’re powerless if you suspect abuse.