9/3/2010
A boss’s repeated failed efforts to woo a subordinate isn’t necessarily sexual harassment. But it’s often unclear for HR to tell when ineffective courting crosses the line into actionable harassment. To help you understand the line, courts have come up with a list of factors to consider when trying to determine whether an employee has been sexually harassed at work.
9/3/2010
Here’s a simple hiring best practice to follow: Advertise all your open positions internally and let employees and applicants know how to look for opportunities. Otherwise, you could be sued by an employee or potential applicant, alleging that she would have applied if she had only known about the opening.
9/2/2010
Q. One of our employees has received glowing reviews for 10 years, but she’s been working on her personal business on company time for the past two years. The employee’s supervisor never addressed this issue in writing, and now her new supervisor wants to fire her without any documentation or counseling. Can the supervisor do this without any expectation of “trouble” from the employee?
9/1/2010
Employees of Kansas City-based Farmers Insurance can get oil changes and windshield repairs for their cars right at work. They can also drop off dry cleaning at the office and enjoy regular chair massages. One reason for the perks: “Being an employer of choice is an important goal for us at Farmers,” says VP Rodney Johnson.
8/30/2010
If you manage a team that’s stuck in a rut or not working up to its full potential, it may have nothing to do with the drive and talent of the participants. They all may want to succeed and be giving 100% effort, but the results can still disappoint. The problem could be conflict—not too much, but too little.
8/25/2010
Should you establish a zero-tolerance ban on swearing in the workplace? It’s probably not realistic and you may set yourself up for discrimination claims if you clamp down on one employee’s slip-up but not another’s. Instead, establish more general rules that say offensive language and other disrespectful conduct are not permitted, and violators will be subjected to the discipline policy.