Managing People at Work

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Phil Ash

Follow these 4 rules to make progressive discipline hold up in court

Having a rigorous system of progressive discipline is the best way to prove in court that an employee fired for inferior performance was treated fairly and in accordance with your company’s policies. Base progressive discipline on these four rules.

Manage summer vacation requests without killing productivity

If you don’t feel the heat of employees clamoring to schedule vacation time when summer unofficially begins on Memorial Day weekend, you’ll probably feel it soon after. Follow these tips for maintaining productivity when employees go on summer vacation.

The vital importance of diligent documentation

One critical area that HR professionals must always remind managers about is the importance of diligently documenting employee performance issues. Taking the time and care to document thoroughly can save you and your company major headaches later.

Follow best practices for criminal-conviction screening

You could wind up facing a discrimination lawsuit even if you had no intention of discriminating against anyone for any reason. How? By using a seemingly neutral and reasonable pre-interview screening question that has a disparate impact on a protected class.

Use AI to save time and avoid bias in job descriptions

The recent advances in AI could potentially revolutionize how you as an HR professional work. You can use AI tools to streamline the process of writing job descriptions, saving time on research and drafting. However, you’ll want to carefully review to ensure the language aligns with your employer br

Prioritize summertime staffing for long-term rewards

With last week’s passing of Memorial Day ushering in the summer season, HR professionals face a crucial juncture in the hiring calendar. The summer months present a distinct opportunity to bolster teams with an influx of new talent, from recent graduates seeking their first roles to seasonal interns

Court: Your policy can require employees to keep ‘spy cams’ turned on

A federal court has upheld an employer’s handbook rule requiring full-time camera monitoring of employees. The ruling is a victory for employers who want to track the behavior of employees they can’t directly observe.

Employees reclassified? Time to start training managers

You say you have already responded to the Department of Labor’s new overtime salary threshold by reclassifying some white-collar employees as overtime-eligible nonexempts? Congratulations! Now comes the hard part—training managers in the finer points of the Fair Labor Standards Act before the new ru

Strangers on your shop floor: What you need to know about OSHA’s new walkaround rule

OSHA’s recently issued final rule on who may represent employees during safety and health inspections has employers worried. As a practical matter, the “walkaround rule”—which takes effect May 31—means employers have little opportunity to object to third parties who employees choose to accompany OSH

Keep up with EEOC’s new, comprehensive enforcement guidance on harassment

The EEOC has published a new, comprehensive guidance document that covers what employers must do to avoid liability for workplace harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age and genetic information.