Archive for July, 2007

What Physics and History Can Teach HR about Hiring and Firing

July 27, 2007 at 1:38 pm by: Kansas Employment Law Letter

by Boyd Byers
In physics, chaos theory is the concept that systems rely on an underlying order and are sensitive to initial conditions. As a result of this sensitivity, a small error or imprecision in the initial conditions grows at an enormous rate over time. Thus, two nearly identical sets of [...]

Employers Bear Brunt of Proof in USERRA Cases

July 27, 2007 at 12:48 pm by: Massachusetts Employment Law Letter

The First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently developed a new two-part test for determining discrimination based on military service under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). This newly created test may prove problematic for employers. To find out why, read on.
Basic Training for Supervisors: easy-to-read [...]

Handling Employees Summoned for Jury Duty

July 20, 2007 at 1:46 pm by: Oklahoma Employment Law Letter

John, a regular full-time employee of BigCo, received a jury summons from federal court. Upon learning he had to appear for jury duty, he called Jamie, BigCo’s human resources representative, to find out what he needed to do. Jamie told him that he needed to take personal leave for his absence.
After [...]

To Create a More Civil Workplace

July 13, 2007 at 1:53 pm by: California Employment Law Letter

by Mark I. Schickman
Robert Sutton is a professor at the Stanford School of Engineering and the founder and codirector of Stanford’s Center for Work, Technology and Organization. He wrote a Harvard Business School article, which was then transformed into the best-selling book The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace [...]

Are You Flunking Performance Evaluations 101?

July 6, 2007 at 4:23 pm by: West Virginia Employment Law Letter

As HR professionals, you might sometimes find it’s easy to take parts of your job for granted — completing I-9 forms, signing employees up for health insurance, and overseeing annual performance evaluations.
Unlike routine paperwork, however, performance evaluations are an important part of effective management and can be critical in defending against employment litigation. And if [...]

Conducting Exit Interviews

July 6, 2007 at 2:00 pm by: South Carolina Employment Law Letter

Terminations are an inevitable part of employment, but despite their seemingly routine nature, even voluntary terminations can present a host of potential problems for employers. When handled properly, however, they can provide you with a valuable opportunity to gain insight into your organization, correct previously undetected problems, and increase your [...]