Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
EEOC requires a “prompt, thorough, and impartial” investigation of complaints of discrimination and harassment. In today’s Advisor, how to interview the complaining employee and the alleged offender. For help with this tricky task, we turned to HRhero/BLR’s Workplace Investigations: the HR Manager’s Step-by-Step Guide. Interviewing the Complaining Employee Attorney author Jody Shipper suggests HR investigators […]
As the implications of using social media in the workplace continue to loom large, not surprisingly, how such use affects information-gathering in employment law cases is gaining attention. Among the questions raised: In an employment-law dispute, can an employer subpoena an employee’s Facebook account as part of its evidence gathering? Yes, but with restrictions. Employers […]
In yesterday’s Advisor, attorney Taylor S. Chapman discussed BYOD (Bring your Own Device) challenges; today, accessing employees’ personal devices and mitigating security risks, plus an introduction to a unique 10-minutes-at-a-time training system. Legality of Accessing Personal Devices Your company can manage the risks associated with BYOD by adopting policies and agreements that fit your risk […]
A New York-based luxury nail salon apparently wasn’t very polished in contending that its illegal immigrant workers were not subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act. After a federal district court pointed out clear case law to the contrary, the salon was ordered to pay $235,920 in damages and back wages to 32 employees. The […]
Bring Your Own Device to work? Smartphones, tablets, and minicomputers abound in today’s workplaces, but they bring with them a host of real-world concerns for employers, says attorney Taylor S. Chapman. A majority of businesses now allow employees to bring their own electronic devices to use at work, notes Chapman. With the rapid evolution of […]
In yesterday’s Advisor, breastfeeding consultant and expert Michele Griswold, MPH, RN, IBCLC, helped employers understand their obligations to breastfeeding mothers. Today, questions about refrigeration and sound issues, plus an introduction to the all-in-one HR website, HR.BLR.com. Griswald who is chair of the Connecticut Breastfeeding Coalition, shared her remarks during an interview with BLR Editor Elaine […]
Most employers want to offer support for new mothers returning to work, including those who choose to breastfeed. But finding and providing a private place for expressing milk has been a problem in many facilities. Nevertheless, that private place has to be found, because the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and the U.S. […]
The Obama Administration has initiatives in worklife balance including flexible work arrangements (FWAs), says attorney David Fortney, but those making the proposals are often not cognizant of the true effect of their mandates. Fortney is a co-founder of law firm Fortney & Scott, LLC in Washington, DC, and is editor of the Federal Employment Law […]
Flexible Workplace Arrangements (FWAs) are more and more attractive and much easier to manage with today’s technologies, says attorney David Fortney, but the laws that govern them were passed long before the technologies existed, and that can make management difficult. Fortney is a co-founder of law firm Fortney & Scott, LLC in Washington, DC, and […]
In yesterday’s Advisor, attorney Allison West offered tips for avoiding defamation and fraud lawsuits. Today, her tips on recruiting, plus an introduction to a unique, web-based, turnkey employee training system. West, principal of Employment Practices Specialists in Pacifica, CA, gave her advice at SHRM’s Employment Law and Legislative Conference, held recently in Washington, DC. Here […]