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Policies / Handbooks

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

How to spot warning signs of chronic absenteeism

03/01/2004
Issue: Employees who miss work frequently often show predictable patterns.
Benefit: Knowing which people are likely to avoid work can help cut costly absenteeism.
Action: Once you know how …

Beware ‘slacker support’ Web sites

03/01/2004
You know that some employees cruise the Web at work. But did you know that many sites actively encourage it and even give users ways to deceive their bosses? Sites such …

Vague policy could entitle employees to extra vacation pay

02/01/2004
Issue: Must unused vacation time always be paid when employees leave?
Risk: An unclear vacation policy could allow terminated employees to sue your organization and collect additional pay.
Action: …

Don’t lash out at workers who take jury-duty leave

02/01/2004
Issue: Can a small organization point to its size as a valid reason to deny jury-duty leave?
Risk: State law exemptions won’t necessarily protect you from this type of lawsuit. …

Liability

02/01/2004
Issue: Retaliation complaints by employees doubled in the past decade.
Risk: Even if you escape liability on an initial employment lawsuit, you could be smacked with a secondary retaliation charge. …