Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Why is employee leave tracking so difficult? FMLA rules “are fairly complicated and they can be confusing. It’s hard sometimes to clarify what you have to do, versus those areas where you have some flexibility.” Kristi McKinzey explained in a recent BLR webinar. One way employers can begin to better understand the rules is to […]
In yesterday’s Advisor, we covered Attorney Franck Wobst’s key things to include in documentation. Today, things not to include, plus an introduction to a timely BLR Bootcamp on performance management. The Two Problems Fentin, who is a partner in the Springfield, Massachusetts, law firm Skoler, Abbott & Presser P.C., points out the two poles of […]
Form the habit for all your writings, (including e-mails, posts, etc.) to write as though for an audience. You never know who may ultimately end up reading what you wrote. Assume that someone will post it or tweet it, says Attorney Franck Wobst. It’s one of HR’s most difficult dilemmas—how to balance your compassion for […]
The Two Problems Fentin, who is a partner in the Springfield, Massachusetts, law firm, Skoler, Abbott & Presser P.C., points out the two sometimes opposing desires of dealing with employees with chronic illnesses: Supporting the employee with chronic illness, and Managing the employee with the chronic illness. Balancing these two needs isn’t easy, Fentin admits. […]
As an HR person, you care about people, says attorney Susan Fentin. Your impulse is to help; however, if the problem is driving the business down, you may not be able to help. You need to balance these sometimes-competing interests, and that’s not often easy. What are the issues when an employee is chronically ill? […]
Sin #1. Making Unlawful Preemployment Inquiries That’s an interesting accent you have. Where were you born? Do you have any children? If so, will you have any daycare problems? By the way, we’re all about diversity here. Inappropriate questions during interviews and other preemployment contacts are a primary source for claims of discrimination. The courts […]
Because 401(k)s are such an important benefit, employees are likely to have many questions about how the plan works and how they can make their money grow. Your supervisors should be able to field basic questions about your 401(k) plan and help employees learn what they need to know to make informed investment choices and […]
Dealing with employees suffering from depression is a delicate topic. The number of people seeking treatment for depression in the U.S. is now 27 million a year, and the CDC notes that the most likely groups to suffer from depression are adults in the 40 to 59 age range. With these statistics, most employers will […]
Ever heard of DSM-5? It’s the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. It is the latest update to the American Psychiatric Association’s classification and diagnostic tool. This update was published on May 18, 2013 and includes some significant expansions to definitions of a few mental disorders. “This is the diagnostic manual that […]
“Intermittent leave and reduced schedule leaves are sometimes fertile grounds for deception and fraud.” Charlie Plumb told us in a recent BLR webinar. Intermittent leave is one of the toughest parts of the FMLA to administer and it can cause frustration for employers, employees, and their coworkers. This is never more so than when fraud […]