Category: HR Management & Compliance

There are dozens of details to take care of in the day-to-day operation of your department and your company. We give you case studies, news updates, best practices and training tips that keep your organization fully in compliance with ever-changing employment law, and you fully aware of emerging HR trends.

HR, the People Who Keep Me from Doing What I Want to Do

Special from Atlanta–SHRM Annual Conference and Exhibition When people ask Hunter “Please Sue Me” Lott what he does for a living, he usually says he sells insurance.. “If I say, ‘I help companies stay out of court,’ they ask, ‘Are you a lawyer.’” “No, I’m HR,” I say. “That’s worse,” they say; “HR keeps me […]

Courts Split over FLSA Damages for Emotional Distress

Employees claiming FLSA retaliation may also seek compensation for emotional suffering. Although courts are divided over whether such damages are available, four federal circuit courts have ruled that the FLSA does permit such damages, and more federal district courts are adopting this view. These developments make it more important than ever that employers both pay […]

12 Tips to Engage Employees in Safety Training

Hold formal safety meetings on a regular basis. Supplement those meetings with brief, informal sessions. Keep meetings to a reasonable length. Plan well in advance and have an agenda for each meeting. Make sure you have full management support for training efforts. Bring in managers from other parts of the facility and outside experts to […]

Case Demonstrates Importance of Training on Same-Sex Harassment

What happened In April 1990, “Kerry” was hired as a parole officer by the New York State Division of Parole. In February 2005, “Shannon,” a female area supervisor, was transferred to oversee the Queens, New York, office where Kerry worked. Kerry alleged that on three occasions between mid-April and mid-September 2005, Shannon sexually harassed her […]

Contractor Cited for Violations Points to Toolbox Talks in Its Defense

What Happened Gioioso Sons, Inc., constructs and installs water supply and sewer pipes. On July 10, 2009, while the company was performing trenching work to install water service lines at a Boston worksite, a compliance officer for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) arrived for an inspection. The compliance officer saw a Gioioso employee […]

Did Supervisor Stop Giving Evaluations, Raises Due to Age Bias?

What Happened In 1985, “Phyllis” was hired to work at a hotel in Dorchester, Massachusetts—initially known as a Howard Johnson Hotel, then as South Bay Hotel, and, starting in 1997, as a Holiday Inn Express operated by Jiten Hotel Management, Inc. As the executive housekeeper of the Holiday Inn Express, Phyllis oversaw the housekeeping staff […]

Ask the Trainer: Reinforcement and Recognition

A: Content and delivery are not necessarily to blame when training fails to drive long-lasting behavioral change. More often, the blame rests with a lack of reinforcement back on the job, says Mike Ryan, senior vice president of Marketing and Strategy for Madison Performance Group (MadisonPG.com). “Training is a key business imperative, but the long-term […]

Deputy Terminated During Training Period Points to Racial Bias

What Happened The Warrick County, Indiana, sheriff hired “Connor” as a reserve deputy sheriff in November 2003. Connor received promotions to part-time—and, later, full-time—dispatcher before becoming a full-time deputy sheriff in August 2007. All new deputies are required to complete a 1-year probationary period during which field training officers (FTOs) teach them basic law-enforcement techniques. […]

Financial Education Programs Address Negative Impact on Work Performance

Among the nearly 460 HR professionals surveyed by SHRM, 52% reported that their organization teaches employees about financial planning—down from 64% in a similar survey 2 years ago. Types of Programs Offered Of organizations that offer financial education, 79% provide access to financial counseling and resources via their employee assistance program, SHRM found. Meanwhile, 68% […]