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HR Management

Providing (Gulp!) Upward Feedback

08/15/2011

Holding rank-and-file employees accountable for their inappropriate actions (or getting their managers to do so!) is a pretty standard part of your job. But what happens when it’s necessary to direct your critique upwards — to address the inappropriate behavior of your boss or other high-level executive? As uncomfortable as it may be, it’s important that you not shirk this duty.

Lessons from the 2011 SHRM conference

08/15/2011
Each summer, the annual Society for Human Resource Management conference brings together the largest gathering of HR professionals under one roof. Here are a few bits of wisdom picked up at this year’s event in Las Vegas:

OSHA may require you to record ergonomic injuries

08/12/2011

OSHA recently reintroduced the idea of a proposed rule that would require employers to report work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)—ergonomic injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome—on their OSHA 300 injury and illness logs.

Pay Statements: 50 State Laws

08/11/2011

Most states have laws that require employers to provide workers with regular statements about their compensation. To help you prevent pay-stub violations, this downloadable PDF chart cites the pay-statement laws for all states that have such laws. Plus, it explains whether pay stubs can be provided to employees electronically …

Chicago’s Jackson Park Hospital faces bias, retaliation charges

08/11/2011
The EEOC is suing Jackson Park Hos­pital and Medical Center for race dis­crimination and retaliation, alleging that the South Side Chicago institution condones race bias and retaliated against workers who complained about discrimination.

Serious rules violation enough to void unemployment comp

08/10/2011
Employers have a right to expect em­­ployees to follow the work rules laid out for them. Employees who are terminated for breaking those rules won’t be eligible for unemployment compensation because it was their fault they were discharged.

Employee alleges hostile environment? Act fast to identify culprits, repair damage

08/10/2011

Fortunately for employers, courts measure a hostile work environment against the “reasonable employee” standard. If a reasonable employee would not find the conduct hostile, then it doesn’t matter how intensely a particular employee reacts to allegedly hostile acts. The idea behind the standard is to protect employers from exaggerated claims, especially when it is clear the employer took the allegations seriously and moved to prevent further problems.

Use break room posters to cut legal liability

08/10/2011

Employers know they are supposed to provide their employees with in­­­­for­mation about how to handle discrimination or harassment. Most employers put up a poster on a break room bulletin board to outline the process. This simple practice can prove invaluable when an employee tries to use ignorance as an excuse for not complaining right away.

Music in the workplace: Motivator or distractor?

08/09/2011
The explosion of iPods, satellite radio and Internet music stations makes it easy for employees to create their own personal soundscape at work. But what’s music to one set of ears is grating noise to another. Here’s what HR needs to consider to strike the right note on workplace music policies.

Secrets of a CEO: 10 things HR needs to know

08/09/2011

Ever wonder what your CEO is thinking and what he or she wants from you? Sue Meisinger, a consultant and former CEO of SHRM, has sat on both sides of the CEO/HR fence. Meisinger cites 10 things your CEO will likely never say to you, but you need to understand: