Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Can appraisals be fun? Well, probably not, but they can be less uncomfortable and more effective. Why do managers shy away from appraisals? They don’t like to deliver negative news. Here’s a simple system that will help. Goals: The Critical First Step Take the time to set meaningful goals for each employee. Without goals and […]
As if union elections weren’t a hassle already, the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) has proposed new procedures to “fix the flaws” in the current system. Here’s what they want to accomplish: The proposed amendments are designed to fix flaws in the Board’s current procedures that: build in unnecessary delays encourage wasteful litigation reflect old-fashioned […]
It’s certainly big news when the U.S. Supreme Court dismisses a class action claim that could potentially have involved over 1.5 million women. What does it mean for your company’s defense against class actions? Maybe not so much. Craig Cleland, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’s Atlanta office, summed it up the post-Wal-Mart situation as follows […]
Fairness—not legality—is the most basic issue in avoiding lawsuits. Why? Because fairness is what matters to juries. As you act, ask yourself, what would a jury think? Many of the most costly cases in employment law are decided by juries. Although judges carefully instruct jury members in the finer points of law involved in their […]
In yesterday’s Advisor, we covered discrimination laws and pregnancy; today, FMLA and pregnancy, plus an introduction to an extraordinary collection of pre-written job descriptions, available on CD and ready for you to implement. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (ADA) applies regardless of how long an employee has worked for you. The federal Family and Medical Leave […]
Pregnancy—a special event, for sure, but a challenging one for the employee’s manager and for HR. Managers need to get it right from the start, and, by the way, guess what, you’re not getting the jury’s sympathy. In 1978, Congress passed the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA), amending Title VII to prohibit employers from discriminating against […]
In yesterday’s Advisor, we found attorney Kevin Troutman’s first five threats and traps for HR managers; today, three more plus an introduction to the all-in-one HR website, HR.BLR.com. Troutman, who is a partner in the Houston office of law firm Fisher &Phillips LLP, blogged his threats and traps on Mondaq.com. [Go here for Traps 1 […]
Trying to comply with the myriad of HR-related laws is tricky enough, but recent developments have opened the door to new legal hazards, says attorney Kevin Troutman. And there’s no grace period—be in compliance now or face time-consuming and costly investigations and litigation. Troutman, who is a partner in the Houston office of law firm […]
A dreaded accounting-of-disclosure rule for electronic protected health information (ePHI) will require action by many employers, in their roles of health plan sponsors. (Employers are not technically “covered entities” under HIPAA privacy but, in effect, must comply if they’re involved in plan administration.) The rule came out in proposed form on May 31. It would […]
In yesterday’s Advisor, we covered the tricky ground of religious accommodation. Today, a Q&A on hardship, dress, and holidays, plus an introduction to a unique, checklist-based audit system. What Costs Equate to Undue Hardship? Employers need not incur more than minimal costs to accommodate an employee’s religious practices. For example, infrequent or temporary overtime payments […]