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home | Communication
 

Communication

Subtopics:

Employee Handbook
Notices (Posting)
Personnel Manuals

Back to HR Administration
Complete Topic List


Recordkeeping: Can We Destroy Paper Originals if We Keep Scanned Electronic Copies on File?
August 2008
We have many employment documents that bear a seal or have a signature or a notary's stamp. If we scan the documents and store them electronically, can we keep (and properly index) only the original pages that have the seal, signature, etc., and destroy the rest of the pages? Or, even better, can we scan the whole document and destroy all of the original pages? . . . more
Terminations: Can We Fire an Employee During the Probationary Period?
August 2008
What are the rules regarding termination during an employee's probationary period, which for us is the first six months of employment? . . . more
Online Exclusive: Independent Contractor Agreement
Online Exclusive July 2008
A written independent contractor agreement is essential to document the mutual understanding between you and your contractor that the person is not an employee. This month, we're providing a sample general agreement that can be customized as needed. Online subscribers can access this sample form now. . . . more
Privacy: We Think an Employee Stole Company Data on His iPod; Can We Confiscate It?
July 2008
We suspect an employee has stolen proprietary data from us using his iPod. We have suspicions but no hard facts. Can we confiscate the iPod? What do we do from here to protect our information? . . . more
Employee Handbooks: What Are the Pitfalls to Watch Out For?
July 2008
I'm embarrassed to say that my company does not have an employee handbook of any kind, and I think it's high time we got one together. Any tips for us? . . . more
Short Takes: Background Checks
July 2008
We're hiring maid staff for our hotel. Is there a specific type of background check we should perform? We're looking to do the minimum possible while still being responsible. . . . more
Short Takes: Recruiting
July 2008
We're interested in using Facebook and similar websites to locate potential job applicants. Would we be violating their rights in any way by contacting them out of the blue when they haven't applied to our company for work? . . . more
Short Takes: Disaster Preparedness
July 2008
Are there any organizations (private or public) that can help us with our emergency preparedness other than FEMA? . . . more
Discipline: What Should We Do When an Employee Refuses to Sign a Disciplinary Form?
June 2008
After discussing discipline with an employee, we always ask the person to sign the disciplinary form so there is a record that we talked with the employee about the issue. Quite often, the person refuses to sign. What do we do if an employee sues us someday? Would a court accept a document that has "employee refused to sign" written on it? Should we just bag the whole idea of written warnings and avoid this problem altogether? . . . more
Technology: What Should I Keep in Mind When Drafting an Electronic Surveillance Policy?
June 2008
We are seeing a need to engage in more intensive monitoring and surveillance of our employees' tech equipment use. I want to get a new draft policy circulating. What should I include? . . . more
Hiring: Do We Really Need an At-Will Statement in All Employee Documents?
May 2008
We are in the process of reworking all of our selection and hiring paperwork. I'm trying to insist on strong at-will language throughout, from application to offer letter to handbook. But our management is trying to improve retention and wants to brand the company as "a great place to work." They think the at-will language contradicts that image they want to generate. So my question is, do you still recommend at-will language? What should I tell my bosses? . . . more
Leaves: Can We Force Employees to Take Vacation During a Twice-Yearly Shutdown?
May 2008
We've been struggling with keeping production up because of employee vacations. So instead of trying to fight vacation schedules, we want to start shutting down for a week in December and again in July and making everyone take vacation during those weeks. Are there any laws about doing this or any problems that you foresee? How much notice do we have to give? How would we go about phasing this in? . . . more
Employment Contracts: Could I Be Entering into 'Implied Contracts' Without Knowing It?
April 2008
We fired an employee, thinking he was "at will," but now he claims we made an oral promise that he could be fired only for cause. We'll fight this one in court, but how do we keep from having misunderstandings like these? . . . more
You're the Expert
February 2008
I got a little embarrassed when I learned that inappropriate behavior (such as employees making fun of their disabled co-worker) had been going on in my facility--and I didn't know about it. My goal for the new year is to "keep an ear to the ground." What suggestions do you have? . . . more
Handbooks: an You Help Us with a Rewrite of Our Handbook?
December 2006
I've been tasked with the rewrite of our employee handbook. Can you tell me what the current thinking is on disclaimers? What are the . . . more
Handbooks: How Do We Handle Handbook Revisions?
August 2006
We're working on revising our handbook, and the process has turned up a few questions. What procedure should we use to distribute the . . . more
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