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HRM in the News is South-Western's service to provide summaries of the latest human resource management news stories. Review the brief summaries and, for stories of interest, select the full summary. |
| EMPLOYEE RIGHTS AND DISCIPLINE | |
| Title | Brief Summary |
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In today’s economic climate, HR associates are increasingly asking employees to do things they don’t want to do—take a pay cut, reduce their hours, assume tasks from a vacated job that won’t be filled, live with fewer benefits, get laid off. Lately, in an effort to avoid that last dreaded option, they have been asking them to do something else—take an unpaid furlough. |
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Retaliation claims have doubled since the 1990s, and these cases are becoming more complex and difficult to resolve. Federal court decisions have not been clear on the subject, and states have taken different approaches to employee and employer rights. (Updated January 2008) |
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Large corporations are increasingly tracking everything employees do on their computers, from instant messaging to emailing to browsing the Web. The line between work and personal time is becoming even more blurred as employees are fired for blogging or for posting negative comments on Web sites from their home computers. Is this just the state of work today or is it a huge invasion of personal privacy? (Updated February 2007) |
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Today’s high-tech business environment is particularly vulnerable to the loss of trade secrets and intellectual property. Annual costs have been estimated at upwards of $1.2 trillion. Some companies have developed innovative tools to help safeguard against damage and loss. (Updated November 2006) |
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No one likes to have to fire an employee but the job can be especially difficult when the issue is not necessarily performance, but rather that the employee is just not a good fit for the position. Employment attorneys counsel managers who need to let someone go to treat that person with honesty and respect. (Updated July 2006) |
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Experts disagree on the reasons fewer companies are using drug testing. Some say it is because drug testing has been a successful campaign and that the number of applicants testing positive for drug use has dropped. Others say it is because the tests are expensive and not worth the costs in the long run. (Updated January 2006) |
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The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on November 8, 2005 that the workday, including time to don and doff special protective clothing, is continuous and compensable. While workers declare a victory, manufacturers fear that additional labor costs associated with the new ruling will make it difficult for American manufacturers to continue to compete with cheaper overseas labor. (Updated December 2005) |
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Since the emergence of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the number of whistle-blower retaliation claims have been steadily increasing. This has been especially challenging for employers because certain provisions may enable terminated employees to be reinstated before the complaint is resolved. (Updated November 2005) |
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With lung cancer making headlines, the reverberations are felt in the HR industry where a company president has banned his employees from smoking both at work and at home. (Updated September 2005) |
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As Japan's population grows older, many factories in need of workers are hiring employees over the age of 60. Elderly workers do not generally get paid the same as other employees; however, they often need the money to supplement their pensions. (Updated July 2005) |
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Discharging an employee is a difficult situation for managers. However, if guidelines are followed and the meetings are planned, the disciplinary process can be made easier for all involved. (Updated September 2004) |
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Employment at will has been a common-law doctrine and has been established by the courts over time. Starting July 1, 2004, the state of South Carolina has taken aim at that doctrine and helped employers in the process. (Updated September 2004) |
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Dating in the workplace continues to be an expensive problem for employers. Productivity can drop, lawsuits can be expensive and even future customer sales can be affected when love goes bad. Dating policies and "love contracts" may be one answer, but even that may not keep you out of court. (Updated 03/01/04) |
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In the 1980s African-American employees could be fired from the workplace for wearing cornrows, or braids, in their hair. It wasn't until recently that this issue was again brought to the forefront for discussion.
(Updated 01/01/04) |
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Workplace surveillance has become more common as technology has improved, gadgets are less expensive, and security concerns have risen. This has prompted concerns about privacy in the workplace, but the courts have generally supported an employer's right to monitor its employees on the job. (Updated 11/01/03) |
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Safety and productivity are two reasons companies say they test employees for illicit drug use. States have their own reasons for encouraging companies to test. (Updated 10/01/03) |
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Employers can protect themselves from lawsuits for wrongful termination by consistently following disciplinary policies and procedures. (Updated 10/01/03) |
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Employers discipline employees in numerous ways, including written reprimand, suspension, and termination. At times, the best way to defuse a bad situation is to transfer the employee to another job within the organization. (Updated 10/01/03) |
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This article addresses an employee's rights when a company posts personal information on the company website. (Updated 7/31/03) |
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