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Personnel Files

You no longer need to send ‘questionable’ W-4s to IRS

05/01/2005
Employers are no longer required to send the IRS copies of questionable W-4 withholding forms, effective April 14. In the past, employers had to send the IRS copies of Form W-4s …

State law dictates employees’ access to personnel file

05/01/2005

Q. An ex-employee whom we fired is now asking to take some documents from his personnel file. Is he legally allowed to do this? Do we have to give him the information just because he’s asking for it? —L.B., North Carolina

Assist ailing employees without fear of triggering ADA

04/01/2005
Issue: Who is considered “disabled” under ADA’s definition?
Risk: Employees earn ADA protection if you regard them as disabled, even if their condition doesn’t rise to the law’s definition of …

New motivation to complete your EEO-1 paperwork

03/01/2005
If you’re required to file an annual EEO-1 form, don’t let the task slip: The EEOC can get tough with companies that shrug off this duty. Example: The EEOC filed a …

Make privacy a cornerstone of your culture

03/01/2005
Confidentiality can quickly become a legal issue in many workplace decisions and activities.

Never sign HR documents for employees

03/01/2005
As part of his age-bias lawsuit, James Halloran claimed that his employer’s HR director signed Halloran’s signature to the bottom of a negative performance review. At trial, the company admitted to …

Keep rejected applications for three years

02/01/2005

Q. I read in your publication that if an applicant isn’t hired, we should retain the application for at least three years. I’ve heard elsewhere that applications should be kept for only one year beyond the date the position is filled. Have the rules changed? —S.C., Washington

Be prepared for new ‘green card’ design

02/01/2005
When completing I-9s this year, expect to receive a different-looking “green card” from some new hires. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently altered the design of the Permanent Resident …

Payroll records: What to track (and for how long)

01/01/2005

Violating Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) timekeeping rules can be a costly error, as the hospital in one case discovered. The FLSA requires employers to keep at least the following …

Well-meaning assistance won’t always mean you view worker as ‘disabled’

01/01/2005
If your organization regards an employee as having a
“disability”, even if his or her condition doesn’t rise to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)’s definition, your actions could cause …