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HR Management

Don’t let e-mail mistakes kill your attorney/client privilege

08/01/2005
Issue: Protect your right to keep communications between the organization and its attorney secret.
Risk: By misdirecting e-mail messages meant for your attorney, you can wipe out that attorney/client privilege. …

Employees waste twice as much time as you think

08/01/2005
HR professionals assume that employees, on average, waste 56 minutes per day at work. But the truth is that U.S. employees admit to squandering more than two hours a day, says …

HIPAA Rules Aren’t Just For Doctors and Hospitals

08/01/2005

Q. I’d like to know if our company needs something like a HIPAA form for employees to sign when we release personal information to others. Is HIPAA only for the medical field? —B.B., New York

Leave-deduction option isn’t enough to destroy exempt status

08/01/2005
One of the biggest pitfalls with the Fair Labor Standards Act is the salary trap. FLSA entitles exempt employees to their entire regular salary in any week they are ready, willing …

If supervisors harass, keep your defense alive with quick action

08/01/2005
In sexual harassment cases, your worst-case scenario is harassment by a supervisor. That’s because sex harassment by a supervisor resulting in a tangible employment action (firing, demotion, pay cut, etc.) is …

Prevent age-based harassment: No ‘old guy’ jokes

08/01/2005
Even among employers that serve as models for sexual harassment and race-discrimination training, one type of bias often tolerated is age-based discrimination and harassment, says Atlanta-based employment-law attorney Douglas Towns.
…

Apply dress code evenly among sexes, within reason

08/01/2005

Q. Our company manufactures plastic tubing. Our general manager is requesting that men not wear sleeveless or tank-top shirts, due to sweat and appearance. He said women can wear them as long as their shirts are seamed. Is this legal? —C.M., Texas

Retain benefit eligibility after FMLA leave

08/01/2005

Q. We understand that employees on FMLA leave don’t lose investment toward retirement plans. Leave time is counted as work time. But our policy says that if employees are out for more than 30 days, their anniversary dates will change. Accrued paid-time off and vacation time will be based on the new anniversary date. Can we do this? —K.A., Connecticut

Break into vacation-Leave bank if sick leave is empty

08/01/2005

Q. If an employee is out sick but has already used up her sick-leave hours, can we legally subtract from her vacation time instead? —K.P., Michigan

Shape your in-house image by creating an HR ‘brand’

08/01/2005
Issue: Take control of your department’s image by creating a consistent internal marketing message.
Benefit: When done well, such branding raises your profile with execs and the rank and file, …