How did this company set up a controversial alcohol testing policy and then get a court to strike down the EEOC and rule in its favor? They instituted random alcohol testing Abigail DeSimone worked at the U.S. Steel plant in Gary, IN, that produced coke (the fuel, not the soft drink or the illicit […]
Posted on February 28th, 2013 by admin
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Here are two employees who, thankfully, you likely don’t see in your day-to-day work. Quitting with the devil We’ll start with the case of Walter Slonopas, who used to work for Contech Casting company in Clarksville, TN. We say “used to” because he quit his job recently for a particularly interesting reason: He received a […]
Posted on February 27th, 2013 by admin
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Over 60 percent of employees in most workplaces are either under engaged or completely disengaged in their jobs. With distributed workforces and remote workers at an all-time high, is distance sabotaging engagement in your company? Don’t leave your people out in the cold with icy emails, unproductive meetings and painfully boring conference calls. With Blue […]
Posted on February 26th, 2013 by admin
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Just this month, a Chicago restaurant agreed to fork over $100,000 to settle a sexual harassment charge filed by the EEOC. And a Nashville, TN, company was ordered to fork over $30,000 in compensatory damages as well as back pay to three teenaged female employees who were sexually harassed by their 38-year-old manager. Seems remarkable, […]
Posted on February 25th, 2013 by admin
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Now here’s a HR function we hadn’t even considered as a legal minefield: Offer letters. But attorney Renee Inomata set us straight. Inomata, partner in the law firm Burns & Levinson, warns that “that warm and fuzzy moment” in which you compose an offer letter to a prospective employee could bind your company to obligations […]
Posted on February 24th, 2013 by admin
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When it comes to abusing FMLA leave, this employee failed in a particularly funny way — and she only has herself to blame. Here are the details of the case: Carol Lineberry worked as a nurse for a hospital when she was hurt on the job and began experiencing lower back and leg pain. She […]
Posted on February 23rd, 2013 by admin
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“Listen, Bill, if it were up to me you would have gotten a bigger raise.” Three cheers for the harmless fib! Where would we be without little white lies? We all do it, though some of us are far better (and more habitual) at it than others. Psychologists say we were all very capable of […]
Posted on February 22nd, 2013 by admin
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Here’s a welcome reminder for companies: Though employers carry a lot of the load in the FMLA leave approval process, employees play a major role, too. And if staffers fail to do what’s required of them, it’s perfectly legal to deny them leave. Ronita Brookins, who worked for Staples Contract and Commercial, Inc., was diagnosed […]
Posted on February 21st, 2013 by admin
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Recognizing employees is the most critical thing a manager can do to improve performance and inspire employees to drive results for business success. It’s important for organizations to deliver frequent feedback using employee recognition, yet many managers have not adopted this practice into their daily equation. Understand why managers don’t use employee recognition and how […]
Posted on February 20th, 2013 by admin
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Periodically, we like to share the success stories of companies dealing with HR issues. This case study comes courtesy of Joy Meserve, VP of camp operations for iD Tech Camps in Campbell, CA. ————————————————————————– It was time for us to reconsider how we trained our managers on hiring new employees. Our managers handle so many […]
Posted on February 19th, 2013 by admin
Filed under: Uncategorized | 186 Comments »
