When some older workers hear the word “slow,” they may immediately assume that’s a code word for “old.” But as a new court ruling shows, if you have employees who can’t meet the job’s required—and preferably written—performance levels, you’re not required to keep them on staff, regardless of their ages. Here's how to handle this legally tricky situation ...
HR Soapbox
Why do your employees leave? Amid the typical 3M reasons—money, motivation and manager quality—employers often miss out on a simple, no-cost way to keep employees happy and on the farm. How? Communicate your promotion policy and announce when workers are promoted.
Unless employees can see and understand the path to promotion at your organization, they’re more likely to seek advancement outside of your walls. Use these 5 guidelines to create announcements that provide concrete examples of what employees must do to get promoted ...
First impressions are important. But when it comes to preventing employment lawsuits, it’s typically the last impression that employees have at work that matters most. “This is why 90% of people come to our office. It’s the way they’re treated on the way out the door,” said noted plaintiffs' attorney, Randy Freking, of Freking & Betz in Cincinnati, during last week's LEAP conference.
As Freking puts it, a lot of juries seem to live by the motto of “If it seems unfair, there must be something there.” Here are the most common errors he sees employers making in the termiantion process ...
Have you ever been frustrated that your CEO doesn’t seem to care about the FLSA, FMLA, ADA or any other of those magic compliance acronyms? What if the boss gets tired of your helpful suggestions and decides to send you packing? As the following court ruling shows, if you are fired for insisting that the company comply with anti-discrimination laws, you can likely sue for retaliation or whistleblower violations ...
Annually on March 15 (the “Ides of March”) we are reminded of the betrayal suffered by Julius Caesar at the hands of Brutus. But backstabbing didn’t end with the fall of the Roman Empire. Less dramatic (and less fatal) versions of betrayal play out in workplaces across the country everyday. Here are four characteristics that typify the common office betrayer, plus tips on how to handle the silent killer, gossip ...
That old stalwart of HR paperwork—the I-9 Form—got its much-anticipated facelift. On March 8, 2013, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a new version of the Employment Eligibility Verification Form. The USCIS is giving employers 60 days to put the form in action, until May 7, 2013.
Just a few years ago, your chance of being targeted for a federal audit of your I-9 forms was remote. That’s all changed. In 2012, ICE launched I-9 audits of 12 times more employers than just five years ago. Here are 9 impportant do's and don'ts for handling your I-9 forms ...
When it comes to discrimination law, courts view “religion” very broadly, meaning you may need to approve some pretty unusual requests. Last week, a Tennessee man quit his job after seeing that his W-2 form was labeled with the number 666 ("the number of the beast"). Here's how to best identify and handle requests for religious accommodations ...
Today’s news that union membership has fallen to its lowest level since the Great Depression may have employers feeling pretty good. But those numbers obscure another reality going on – employees are actually gaining powerful new rights to act collectively at both union and non-union workplaces due to a series of controversial, pro-employee rulings by the National Labor Relations Board (the NLRB).
