Tag: Policies

The Trouble with ‘Twibel’: A New Social Media Headache for Employers

You may feel like a twit when it comes to your understanding of Twitter, but it is time to add the word “Twibel” to your company’s vocabulary — and more importantly, to your overall social media strategy, says Porter Wright employment law attorney Sara Jodka. Libel occurs when someone prints a false and malicious statement […]

Communicating with Employees—Don’t Shove It onto the Back Burner

Ask employees what they like least about their jobs, and they typically cite a problem with communication. In fact, in many national employee attitude surveys, participating organizations across the board were rated lowest on questions related to communication, while at the same time employees who took the survey said communication was very important to them.

Gaming the System—PA Sin Number Seven

Yesterday’s Advisor featured the first 6 of our 10 sins of performance appraisers; today, we present the rest of the sins.    [Go here for sins 1 to 6.] Sin #7. Gaming the system “John’s work is just OK, to be sure, but I need to give him a big raise to keep him, so […]

The 10 Sins of Performance Appraisers

Performance evaluation—it’s hard to get it right, but, unfortunately, it’s easy—and expensive— to get it wrong. We’ve identified the 10 most common mistakes of managers and supervisors who conduct performance appraisals. We call them the “10 Sins.”   Sin #1. Failure to set meaningful goals “Well, Sandy, I think we did fairly well this year, […]

If You Can’t Deduct, What Can You Do? (No More PTO)

Yesterday’s Advisor explored the challenges of dealing with exempt employees who have exhausted their paid time off (PTO). Today, if deducting pay is not an option, what is? Here’s how to approach the situation: First, if it is important for the employees to be in the office during consistent work hours, make sure that is […]

‘My Exempt Employee Has No PTO but Needs Time Off’

PTO banks can be a great way to simplify time off requests. They can also be a way to ensure that salaried employees do not take advantage of their salaried status and take time off without boundaries. However, when poorly administered, PTO can cause employees to lose their exemptions. PTO helps to bridge the gap […]

EEOC

Steps to a Fair Investigation

When an employee complaint comes in, what action should be taken? Does your workplace have a complaint investigation procedure that is followed each time? Having a thorough investigation process is vital to treating employees fairly and consistently; it is also key to getting all of the facts each time so that the organization can take […]

What Does GINA Protect?

In 2008, Congress recognized scientific advances in the field of genetics and feared these advances would give rise to misuse and discrimination based on genetic information. This led to the passing of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA)

Obesity Can Be a Disability, Court Rules

An employee’s obesity may be a disability covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, a federal district court has held. The employer challenged the claim, arguing that the ADA does not cover obesity, but the court disagreed, refusing to dismiss the suit. Joseph Whittaker sued his former employer, America’s Car-Mart, Inc., alleging that the company […]

Casual References and Endorsements on Social Media

Yesterday’s Advisor featured tips on social media policies from Attorney Jonathan Segal. Today, his tips on casual references and endorsements and friending and unfriending work colleagues.   Casual References Casual references on LinkedIn or other professional social media sites pose legal risks: Defamation (if they are negative and untrue). Misrepresentation (if they are positive and […]