Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Widespread among employers today is a “neutral reference” strategy in providing employment references for current or former employees. In fact, many attorneys have urged clients to adopt this policy to decrease exposure to liability. Of course, when you’re the one seeking a reference on a job applicant, this type of policy severely limits the information […]
What legal right do bosses have to monitor their workers’ communications, especially when sent through new technologies? The answer (as usual) is: It depends. Yesterday’s Advisor briefed you on the subject of electronic surveillance of your employees. We summarized the pros and cons of looking at your employees’ e-mails, instant messages (IMs), and other communications, […]
When it comes to electronic surveillance of employees, as the TV ad says, “Just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you should.” Most companies now have the means to conduct electronic surveillance of their employees’ at work, since so much that employees do passes through company computer networks. But should you peek? Susan Heathfield, […]
Nearly 90 percent of discrimination charges are discharge-related. The reasons are obvious: Terminations cause hard feelings, create economic need, and destroy feelings of loyalty, says today’s expert. What can HR do? Expert James W. Bucking, partner and co-head of the Employment Department at Foley Hoag LLP in Boston, blogging on HR FactFinder, offers 10 tips […]
So you think you’re safe because you document every employment action? Read this lawsuit-losing list of common errors, and see if you’re “guilty” of any of them. You’ve been sued by a former employee and now you’re facing the music in court. You’re not worried, though. You’ve documented why you fired the guy, and you’re […]
With GPS technology, we can know where—exactly where—our employees are, 24/7. Is it an invasion of privacy to ask questions based on that information? Today’s expert sorts out the issues and offers practical advice. Employer surveillance of employee activities using global positioning system (GPS) or similar technology should not violate employee privacy if it’s used […]
In the last issue of the Advisor, we covered tips for dealing with noncompetes. Today, more detail on that, plus how to train your supervisors and managers on hiring (and everything else). For some more guidance on dealing with noncompetes, we turned to the HR Red Book (What to Do About Personnel Problems in [Your […]
These days, to get great people, you’ve often got to hire away from your competitors, and that brings the issue of “noncompetes” to HR’s front burner. Today’s experts tell you how to manage restrictive agreements. Aren’t noncompete agreements more a matter for lawyers than HR people? Sure, but when a new hire goes awry because […]
In the last Advisor, we covered issues surrounding electronic recordkeeping. Today, more principles plus how to get your questions answered at a timely BLR webinar on this increasingly relevant HR topic. Electronic recordkeeping is wonderful in many ways, but the pitfalls are varied and deep, as we saw in yesterday’s issue. To skirt those danger […]
Electronic recordkeeping saves trees, office space, and maybe time, but security and retention issues come along with it. Let’s explore them. We all know the advantages of electronic recordkeeping. You get quick, simultaneous access in as many places as there are computers; you can search by keyword; and you have the capacity to manipulate data […]