BKate

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BKate
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  • You can find this type of info on this site, HR.BLR.com. In most states you can deliver the required statement online but you have to make sure all employees have access to them, meaning they all have ready access to a computer and printer at work. …
  • Good article. Actually, the DOL recently released opinion letters on this issue. You can read them on this site (where I found out about them) or go to the DOL site. See http://hr.blr.com/news.aspx?id=79773    
  • This is a good article.
  • This discussion brings up an interesting case we had at my old company in Connecticut. A lawsuit was filed--I think it was defamation based on a supervisor telling a couple of other employees a man working as an independent contractor was gay. The c…
  • The EEOC has a guidance regarding responses to sexual harassment complaints that has good information on what they consider to be an effective investigation. Try http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/harassment.html#VC1e  
  • For health insurance, benefits kick in on the first of the month following 90 days of employment. Dental is on the first of the month following 6 months of employment. We have approximately 200 employees. The wait time is an issue for recruiting and…
  • If the employee's behavior is unusual considering the way he has handled himself on the job over the last 21 years and has only recently become an issue, it could be the sign of a medical problem, stress from the medical problems of loved ones, conc…
  • Mine is an interview experience as well. A number of years ago I called an applicant to set up an interview and the music on her answering machine was bizarre--I almost didn't leave a message. When she came in for the interview, her eyes were red, s…
  • If you haven't been to SHRM's annual conference, it is worth going at least once. There are lots of breakout sessions and it's a great way to meet a lot of people if you take advantage of the opportunity. However, if you are looking for "bang for th…
  • By the way, the BLR description for Human Resources Assistant has the following qualifications: Qualifications: 1.        Ability to maintain the highly confidential nature of human resources work. 2.        At least two years college, including cou…
  • BLR has a few descriptions that might work. I just looked on the Job Description Manager and in the samples and here is the title and position summary that seems to work with what you are saying. They have a great library on HR.BLR.com. HR Assistant…
  • CAUTION. A number of states have added sexual orientation and gender identity to their list of protected characteristics, and others are considering adding them. Also, gender dysphoria may be considered a disability and an employer might have to mak…
  • That's a great answer. I particularly like the idea of focusing on the positive benefits of attending the conference and writing up what you learned/offering to give a presentation afterwards. Turning in the other employee might make you feel better…
  • As far as I know, there is no federal or state law that would require you to give exempt employees comp time or any extra pay because they worked Saturday. Exempt employees are paid a fixed salary regardless of the number of hours they work--more or…
  • This one doesn't really affect my company, but I'm glad to see DHS really jumped on this--seems like it took an awfully long time after the war on terror started to get these put together!
  • They have a lot of forms and letters on this web site including a link to the Department of Labor's form called Employer's Response to Employee's Request for Family & Medical Leave. You can find the government form at: http://www.dol.gov/esa/for…
  • We are going to run into this problem in 2008--still trying to figure out the best way to handle. Does make for three months where expenses run high and cause budget problems.
  • I agree with ERISAMaven for the most part, but I think there is an implicit limit in the number of times an employer can ask for I-9 documents. You can't ask for more than is required to complete the I-9 form and reverification is only required if t…
  • I personally think credit reports are one of the most intrusive types of screening employers can do and should be limited to jobs where it is related. For instance, we get credit reports on our sales reps because they take customer information inclu…
  • Wow, that's tough. I imagine that if you are fighting with a salesperson over commissions and don't have the documentation, you are going to pay big.
  • I don't have a training program. We usually work with a consultant who helps set up the committee and facilitates the planning sessions.
  • There are lots of vendors out there that put on training programs on workers compensation--some, I'm sure, are better than others. You might check with your insurance carrier and/or the states business and industry association. Sometimes an associat…
  • This is an interesting idea for a policy. I've never actually run into this issue before. Is this something large companies are doing now?
  • We pay employees every other week now. One issue that comes up every year is that there are two months with three payrolls and this makes expenses in these months much higher than other months. In addition, because of the way the pay periods fall be…
  • I think activities like this can be great for employee morale so long as everyone keeps things workplace appropriate. One issue that was raised in my company around halloween decorations related to someone finding it offensive because of their relig…
  • I think it is generally better to have the termination discussion in person. In this case, you would definitely want to take some precautions including not meeting the employee alone and having a plan for escorting him out of the building after the …
  • I think everyone needs a mental health day at some point during the year and often they need this time on short notice--using a sick day is reasonable to me so long as it isn't abused. 2 to 3 personal days would work too, so long as the scheduling r…
  • I like the idea of calling it problem solving--very focused on the positive and working together for a solution.
  • Since I have a subscription to this web site, I use alot of the Powerpoint training programs. They have quite a few for front-line supervisors. Depending on the needs of the managers, you might also consider sending them to a training (especially th…
  • I use BLR's training materials for this topic--I customize for our organization, but they are a great resource. I also recommend that the person who delivers the training take a "train the trainer" course. This is one training you want to get right!