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HR Management

Avoid arbitrary policy on reinstating job titles

03/01/2004

Q. An assistant manager has been out on disability leave for four months, and she’s requested another two months. I want to eliminate the position. How long do I have to keep the position closed before reactivating the job title and responsibilities? —K.J., Mississippi

Misconduct is the key to enforcing your ‘no rehire’ policy

03/01/2004
Issue: When can you refuse to rehire a former employee who may be protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)? Benefit: You don’t have to rehire people who are …

Phrase job offers carefully to avoid confusion, lawsuits

03/01/2004
Issue: What you don’t say in a job-offer letter may be just as important as what you do say. Risk: Fired employees may try to use poorly written job-offer letters …

Use caution in firing employee after On-the-Job injury

03/01/2004

Q. An employee in our plant was directed by a replacement line supervisor to use a machine that he wasn’t trained to operate. The employee stuck his hand into the machine to clear a jam and was injured. The plant supervisor fired the employee while he was still in the hospital for operating machinery he hadn’t been trained on. Does the employee have a right to sue us if he was actually ordered by the line supervisor to do this job? —K.C.

Develop rules for using cell phones while driving

03/01/2004

Q. One of our managers was talking on his company cell phone when he struck and injured a pedestrian. Can the pedestrian sue the company? —P.L., Washington

Supreme Court protects age-related benefits

03/01/2004
Issue: A key new ruling says your organization can offer benefit packages designed specifically for older employees. Benefit: More flexibility to set employee perks; eliminates the fear of “reverse” age …

MBA or MSHRM? Five questions to help you decide

03/01/2004
Issue: Is pursuing a graduate degree worth the effort? If so, which one should you pursue? Benefits: An advanced degree can build your HR and business know-how, plus boost career …

Make sure HR spending aligns with management goals

03/01/2004
HR spending often wildly varies from the senior management’s priorities, says a new Watson Wyatt survey. Examples: While managers ranked staff selection second in terms of their priorities, it ranked 36th …

How to prevent growing risk of ‘negligent supervision’ suits

03/01/2004
Thorough background checks can help you defeat any negligent hiring claim.
But what if applicants’ background checks come up clean, yet they begin displaying troublesome behavior at your workplace. In …

Don’t oversell job openings; you’ll risk a fraud lawsuit

02/01/2004
Issue: Misrepresenting a job offer by failing to disclose key facts or overselling the position.
Risk: Hiring managers who don’t tell the full story about a job could expose the …