Managers may believe that agreements must be in writing to be deemed legal employment contracts. But that’s not true. Under the right circumstances, oral promises...
Without deadlines, employees flounder. They can’t be aware of the urgency or priorities of a project unless their supervisors tell them. Following are four tips to...
Atlanta-based Home Depot recently completed a yearlong implementation of its Deaf2Work program in Minnesota, in collaboration with that state’s employment...
A reader of our weekly e-mail newsletter recently posed this question to the other readers: “What’s the best way to include Spanish-speaking employees in...
HR professionals often play it ultra-safe in interviewing. For fear of asking unusual, inappropriate or even illegal questions, they stick to bland, scripted queries...
When managers suspect theft, it’s easy for tempers to rise. But don’t allow the incident to erupt into an ugly confrontation and public humiliation of...
"Treat her just like all the other employees," Mr. Bigg, the company CEO, told you when Sam came on board. "I don't want her getting special treatment because she's my...
Absenteeism is an issue that affects all employers, all year long. How do you motivate employees to cut down on absenteeism? Offering perfect attendance awards may not...
Q. We have salaried, exempt employees who take increments of vacation time (anywhere from one hour to seven hours at a time) instead of one full day. Is this legal? Or...
Q. Our company routinely runs background checks on all people to whom we offer positions. Can we legally disclose an employee’s background information to a...
Q. In a previous issue of HR Specialist, you said that employers can’t force employees to visit a psychologist. Our Internet policy says that if we find employees...
Under Florida law, employees who are fired can't collect unemployment compensation if you fired them for "misconduct." Unfortunately, the law doesn't...
Studies in the past have shown that attractive people generally earn a "beauty premium." That is, they earn more money, enjoy better performance reviews and...
If you use employment contracts for independent contractors or senior-level managers, make sure those contracts contain enough "wiggle room" to terminate for...
The EEOC, the federal agency that enforces the ADA, recently issued guidance to help employers accommodate hearing-impaired employees and applicants. The guidance...
