Employee handbooks come in all shapes and sizes, but there are certain “must-have” policies that no employee handbook should be without. Our new White Paper 20 Must-Have Employee Handbook Policies provides a list of the 20 “must-have” policies, courtesy of Kate Gold, Esq., and...

Yesterday , we looked at some of the common questions that arise relating to employee handbooks. Today, a few more—plus an introduction to a must-have handbooks resource, specifically for California employers and fully updated for 2012. Click here for yesterday’s Q&A. Q. We have an employee...

Employers often have some basic questions about employee handbooks. We’ll tackle a few of them today and tomorrow. Q. What is the purpose of an employee handbook? A. Simply put, an employee handbook sets out the basic employment policies that apply to your employees, the rules that they need to...

Yesterday’s CED summarized some of the legal risks involved in disciplining over social media use. Today, again courtesy of national employment law firm Jackson Lewis, LLP, we'll tackle the tricky issue of social media policies, and we'll take a look at a one-stop resource for all of your...

Nearly every company is struggling with how to best handle social media use at, and relating to, the workplace. A recent white paper from national employment law firm Jackson Lewis, LLP points out some of the legal dangers in confronting employees over their use of social media. When might you want to...

The element of surprise in social media background searches is highly overrated, says attorney and social media expert Molly DiBianca. DiBianca, with the law firm of Young, Conaway, Stargatt & Taylor LLP, made her remarks at a recent regional meeting of the Employers Counsel Network . She notes that...

A common thread in social media cases is that the supervisors have overreacted, says attorney Molly DiBianca. Supervisors aren’t ready for negative social media comments about themselves, and they take the comments personally. That can lead to some bad decisions. DiBianca, with the law firm of...

Do you still print hard copies of your employee handbook and distribute them to all employees every time there is a change? Going the online route will probably make updates more timely and efficient, as well as more cost effective and environmentally friendly (less paper), but keep these suggestions...

Guest post by Lisa Barnett Sween, J.D. and David Lucero, J.D. of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP As the volume of employment-related lawsuits continue to increase with the cool economy, it has become more important than ever for companies to have a consistent set of rules and practices to address...

In yesterday’s CED , attorney Kevin McCormick briefed us on new union tactics and the new NLRB aggressiveness. Today, his 7 steps to get ready for union organizers - plus an introduction to a must-have employment policy resource, specifically for California employers. McCormick, a partner at Whiteford...

Unions are desperate, says attorney Kevin McCormick, because their numbers are down and many of the things they once promised workers (like safer workplaces) are now mandated by government agencies. The result? They’re getting aggressive in new ways. As an example of new union tactics, McCormick...

Yesterday , we looked at 5 potential employment policy perils you want to be sure to avoid. Today, the rest of the dastardly top 10 — plus a California-specific handbooks resource that practically does the work for you. Here’s the rest of the top 10, courtesy of Mark Schickman and Cathleen...

The employee handbook: Probably not the most enjoyable part of your job. It’s even less fun when a judge rules a policy unenforceable for some reason, forcing your company to hand over thousands of dollars to a disgruntled employee or former employee. Here are 10 potential policy perils to avoid...

Yesterday , we went back in time and looked at some interesting policies from Walt Disney's 1943 employee handbook. Today, a few more — as well as a foolproof way to ensure your handbook is always current and complete. War Work, Espionage, and the Selective Service The world was obviously a...

Through the magic of Google Docs, the Walt Disney 1943 employee handbook is now publicly available online. We've taken a peek, and it's clear that some of the policies have not aged nearly as well as Mickey himself. The handbook (you can check it out here ), published by the Walt Disney Productions...

While the lack of a specific rule doesn't mean you can't discipline an employee for misconduct, the existence of a rule or standard can make your life a lot easier. Seth, one of your supervisors, comes to you pretty distraught one day. It turns out that Sara, one of his subordinates, has been...

Most employers these days have some kind of employee handbook. But oftentimes they lapse into an outdated state, or wind up loaded with all sorts of protocols, procedures, and guidelines — some of which have nothing to do with employment issues. Today we'll explain why important to treat your...

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Yesterday , we looked at the hypothetical case of an employer that changed its vacation accrual policy and failed to notify current employees...

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Employers should regularly revise and modify their employment policies and employee handbooks as the law changes and as their operational needs dictate. Once you make policy changes, however, must you communicate them to your employees? And if so...

Yesterday , we looked at some of the elements your employee handbook should include. Today, we'll take an in-depth look at what your grievance procedure should look like, courtesy of attorney Peter Panken of Epstein Becker & Green, PC. We'll also tell you how you can get a comprehensive collection...