Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Writing a termination letter can be a daunting task when you realize that so much can rise or fall on what it says. A few straightforward strategies can help you prepare a termination letter that provides all the benefits and helps you manage the risks that accompany all termination decisions.
The brief answer to that question is “It depends.” The legality of no-recording policies is relatively a hot-button issue that has been addressed by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the U.S. 2nd and 5th Circuit Courts of Appeal.
Who is responsible for delivering the news to an employee when he or she is terminated? Is it that person’s direct supervisor or manager? Is it someone higher in the organization? Is it HR? If it’s not HR, is HR always present?
Facing the prospect of disciplining an employee, many managers would rather … not. Having difficult conversations like this is one of the more frustrating and cumbersome (and, let’s face it, sometimes awkward) tasks a manager faces. And for HR managers, who may be tasked with employee discipline (directly or by assisting) or with training managers […]
When trying to be sure the organization does not have any discriminatory policies or actions, HR professionals have a big task.
When it comes to uncomfortable situations, some people gravitate more toward the “awkward turtle” end of the spectrum than the “social butterfly.” When an ill-timed joke costs an employee her job, however, is she entitled to unemployment benefits?
In a recent decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit—which covers Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee—held that an employer’s week-to-week, commission-only pay system was generally valid. However, it was illegal for the company’s policy to state that employees had to repay immediately upon termination draws that had been given during employment.
Paid “safe time” refers to paid time off used specifically to deal with issues related to domestic abuse. While many employers offer some form of paid time off, not all employers have specific PTO days allotted to deal with domestic abuse. This can be a critical distinction, as it allows victims in these situations to […]
The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) announcement that it is nixing its 2010 guidance on unpaid internships in favor of a less-rigid test puts the agency in line with recent appellate court rulings on the issue, according to an attorney following the matter.
by Boyd Byers Is your employee handbook or policy manual haunted by shadowy policies and provisions that are treated as though they aren’t even there? “Ghost policies” can creep into a handbook in a number of ways. They may be relics that once lived useful lives—the legacies of long-departed HR managers—but their original purpose is […]