Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Yesterday’s Advisor gave tips for preventing harassment. But there’s always the lingering question, What’s harassment and what isn’t? In many cases of harassment, the question is where the line lies between permitted and forbidden actions. In fact, the law maintains that harassment is really defined by the victim—it doesn’t matter what the harasser’s intentions are—it’s […]
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, romance is in the air—and maybe even in the workplace. But while workplace romance may be a nice diversion for those involved, it can create some big risks for employers. This can include the threat of sexual harassment lawsuits when a relationship sours, lowered productivity, and even diminished morale […]
Multimillion dollar harassment settlements and judgments just keep on coming. Recent headlines run the gamut from “Unwanted Touching at McDonalds” to “Harassment at Madison Square Garden.” How can HR help? Is harassment happening at your workplace? Has it continued over time? If so, experts offer two explanations as to why: Either management is unaware (unlikely} […]
The more employees travel for business, the more exposure employers have — often with costly consequences. Businesses must be prepared for problems that might arise when male and female employees travel together, whether domestically or internationally. Contrary to popular belief, what happens in Vegas doesn’t really stay in Vegas — it gets told in court. […]
(Updated October 2008) A federal appeals court affirmed the dismissal of a disability discrimination claim based on perfume sensitivity. It found that the employer reasonably accommodated the employee by taking various measures, including prohibiting perfume in the workplace. HR Guide to Employment Law: A practical compliance reference manual covering 14 topics, including the Americans with […]
Some managers believe that if they train in how to recognize harassment, unaware employees will start to see it and sue. A new study tells if they’re right. Are you a graduate of the “Ostrich School of Management?” It’s easy to figure out which managers are. They’re the ones who think that if they take […]
Terminations are an inevitable part of employment, but despite their seemingly routine nature, even voluntary terminations can present a host of potential problems for employers. When handled properly, however, they can provide you with a valuable opportunity to gain insight into your organization, correct previously undetected problems, and increase your retention rate. For those reasons, […]
Most employees likely think of harassment in male vs. female terms. A new BLR interactive CD-ROM training course will make them conscious of a wider perspective. Ask your employees, or even your supervisors, for an example of “sexual harassment,” and you’ll likely hear the best-known version of it … a male showering a female with […]
While male-female sexual harassment cases still predominate, same-sex and other forms of harassment are a growing trend. And often, there’s no sex involved. When the term “sexual harassment” comes up, many people might think of scenes from the movie “9 to 5.” In that classic film, an overbearing, over-leering boss (played by Dabney Coleman) constantly […]
Our company is going to go through a prolonged period of significant downsizing. A recent seminar told us to expect a retaliatory wave of unfounded allegations, grievances, and lawsuits by disgruntled employees. Can you suggest steps we can take to protect ourselves against these attacks? Should we retain specialists? What do you recommend we do? […]