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HR Management

Prepare for the EFCA—even if unions never worried you before

02/24/2009

By now, most employers have heard of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), the proposed legislation that would make it dramatically easier for unions to organize workers and obtain favorable terms in the initial collective-bargaining agreement. Is it time to panic? Of course not, but it is time to take action.

What can we do? Employee’s other job makes her miss work here

02/24/2009

Q. We have a salaried employee who holds down a second job. Sometimes, she leaves early on Fridays and comes in late on Mondays because the second job overlaps with our office hours. Can we deduct anything from her pay after she has used up her vacation and leave time? Or do we have to pay her even though she leaves early and comes in late?

How should I deal with disrespectful employee?

02/24/2009

Q. One of our employees constantly twists around everything I say to make the situation seem worse than it is. For example, when I put her paycheck on the counter because she was busy, she told others that I threw it at her. She has lied about many incidents. I have spoken with her several times and indicated that her actions are unprofessional and disrespectful. This is not good for my reputation. I need a solution about how to deal with this employee.

Beware firing after worker warns about safety

02/24/2009

Former employees and their lawyers are always looking for ways to maximize what they can get from former employers. One way is to add a wrongful discharge claim if an employee is fired after he or she complains about workplace safety. These cases can get quite expensive, as the following case shows.

Nuke plant operator fined for sleeping guards

02/24/2009

Sleeping on the job isn’t productive, and most employers have rules against it. In some environments, falling asleep on duty is downright dangerous and can result in large fines.

20 tips for motivating your employees

02/24/2009

In addition to setting goals and tracking progress, it’s the manager’s job to help motivate their workers toward excellent performance. Here are 20 simple motivational tools to keep in your bag.

The HR I.Q. Test: March ’09

02/19/2009

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

Sleeping in peace: Can employee claim that video of his on-duty nap violates his privacy?

02/19/2009

What should you do if you suspect an employee is goofing off at work or perhaps sleeping at his desk? One employer recently took a high-tech approach to that problem, setting up a surveillance camera to catch an employee in the act. It worked, but it took a trip to court to finally put this case to bed.

Should we limit use of personal phones while driving?

02/19/2009

Q. We have field employees who use their own cell phones on the job. Do we need to establish a policy on cell phone usage, even though the phones aren’t ours and aren’t required by us?

It’s time for a pay discrimination self-audit

02/19/2009

Is your company vulnerable to employees’ claims that they weren’t paid the right amount due to company policy or discrimination? Now’s a dangerous time to answer “yes” or “I don’t know.” Reason: A perfect storm of trends is prompting more U.S. workers to pursue their pay-related claims in court.