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HR Management

Seek out tax credits for hiring certain ‘disadvantaged’ workers

06/01/2003
Want to save your company some money, and look good in the process? Point out the tax incentives available if your company hires people from certain …

Forcing a resignation kills your legal defense

06/01/2003
Here’s even more incentive to end harassment at the earliest opportunity: A new court ruling says employers could give up their best defense in court if they allow workers to suffer …

Do you approve dubious FMLA leave? You’re not alone

05/01/2003
Half of the human resource professionals polled recently say they’ve approved Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requests that they believed were not legitimate. They felt obligated to grant the leave …

Expect new OSHA heat if your injury rate is higher than average

05/01/2003
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has launched an “enhanced enforcement policy” that targets 10,000 employers with tough workplace …

Nondisabled workers can claim ADA retaliation

05/01/2003
Warning: As odd as it may sound, don’t believe you’re safe from an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) lawsuit if the employee fails to prove a disability. Most people think …

Monitoring staff phones? Hang up when you realize it’s a personal call

05/01/2003
You can monitor your employees’ communications, within reasonable limits. But you can’t let your monitoring escalate to eavesdropping and violate workers’ …

Sexual harassment: Your best game plan is prevention

05/01/2003
THE LAW. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Although Title VII doesn’t specifically mention …

Post Vacation Schedules in Employee-Only Areas

05/01/2003

Q. We post employees’ vacation schedules in the employee lunchroom. Occasionally, outside visitors or customers visit the lunchroom, too. Some employees have complained about this posting policy, saying it borders on invasion of privacy. Are they right and should we stop doing this from a legal standpoint? —M.M., New Jersey

Don’t cut severance if it violates written contract

05/01/2003

Q. We need to change our severance policy, mostly due to declining business conditions. Can we reduce the severance amounts cited in employment agreements with certain staff as long as we notify them of the change? —J.C., Illinois

EEOC launches ‘referral back’ mediation program

05/01/2003
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is starting a new voluntary mediation pilot program in which private-sector discrimination charges filed …