Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Can You Ask About Retirement Plans? Can you ask older employees about their retirement plans? Yes, if you are careful, says BLR® Senior Legal Editor Joan Farrell. But push too hard and it starts to look like age discrimination. If an employer has a legitimate reason, like workforce planning or succession planning, it’s not a […]
Yesterday’s Advisor discussed laying the groundwork for firing; today, the dangers of inconsistency and retaliation, plus an introduction to the unique guide just for smaller—or even one-person—HR departments.
Workplace security is a critical concern for employers nationwide. Crimes against businesses are increasing. Companies like yours must be concerned about theft of equipment, inventory, trade secrets, computer information, and money. You also must take steps to prevent other security risks such as arson, vandalism, and workplace violence. Workplace crime not only affects the company […]
While salary level may be a legitimate factor in determining which employees to lay off, it cannot be the determining factor if it adversely affects older workers, says Tinnin, who is a partner with Tinnin Law Firm in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and editor of New Mexico Employment Law Letter. In 2005, he adds, the U.S. […]
The list of dangers that employers face in firing employees is seemingly endless. How can you safely fire a poor performer who’s pregnant, who’s on medical leave, or who just filed a workers’ compensation claim? What about the employee with the perpetually bad attitude who also happens to be trying to organize your workforce or […]
If you, like me, were one of the tens of millions of people who watched the Academy Awards Sunday night, you saw a celebration of excellence in a profession. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was founded in 1927. And, according to its website, “one of the first Academy committees was Awards of […]
Why Do an Audit? For the same reason we do financial audits—to fulfill a fundamental obligation, that is, to discover vulnerability. Remember, says Kleinman, who is principal of California-based Dan Kleinman Consulting, someone is always watching, internal and external, and they are evaluating what is going on. Five Reasons for a Compensation Audit There are […]
The information in today’s issue is adapted from a course in the Leadership for Employees Library on TrainingToday called “Business Ethics—What Employees Need to Know.” HR experts and labor and employment attorneys agree that businesses—regardless of their industry or size—should be concerned about the ethical conduct of their employees. According to a survey by the […]
What happens when a worker has a history of alcohol abuse and gets hurt on the job—or worse, killed—while intoxicated. Is the employer liable? A Texas court recently had to rule on this topic.
In yesterday’s Advisor, attorney Mark Schickman discussed basic guidelines for supervisor training. Today, more tips for supervisors, plus an introduction to BLR’s audit-by-checklist program. Your supervisors aren’t technical experts on HR matters, and they‘re not going to be, but you can train them to act in a way that preserves HR’s options, says Schickman, a […]