HR Answer Book, The: An Indispensable Guide for Managers and Human Resources Professionals

256 Pages·2004·1 MB·English

by  Shawn Smith JD

The
HR Answer Book
..........................10539$ $$FM 01-14-0415:11:19 PS
..........................10539$ $$FM 01-14-0415:11:19 PS
The
HR Answer Book
An Indispensable Guide for Managers and
Human Resources Professionals
Shawn Smith, JD
Rebecca Mazin
AmericanManagementAssociation
NewYork•Atlanta•Brussels•Chicago•MexicoCity•SanFrancisco
Shanghai•Tokyo•Toronto•Washington,D.C.
..........................10539$ $$FM 01-14-0415:11:20 PS
SpecialdiscountsonbulkquantitiesofAMACOMbooksare
availabletocorporations,professionalassociations,andother
organizations.Fordetails,contactSpecialSalesDepartment,
AMACOM,adivisionofAmericanManagementAssociation,
1601Broadway,NewYork,NY10019.
Tel.:[phone].Fax:[phone].
Website:www.amacombooks.org
Thispublicationisdesignedtoprovideaccurateandauthoritative
informationinregardtothesubjectmattercovered.Itissoldwiththe
understandingthatthepublisherisnotengagedinrenderinglegal,
accounting,orotherprofessionalservice.Iflegaladviceorotherexpert
assistanceisrequired,theservicesofacompetentprofessionalperson
shouldbesought.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Smith,ShawnA.,1958-
TheHRanswerbook:anindispensableguideformanagersandhuman
resourcesprofessionals/ShawnSmith,RebeccaMazin.
p. cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN0-8144-7223-0
1. Personnelmanagement—Handbooks,manuals,etc. I. Title:Human
resourcesanswerbook. II. Mazin,RebeccaA. III. Title.
HF5549.17.S64 2004
658.3—dc22
2003021802
(cid:2)2004ShawnSmith,JD,andRebeccaMazin
Allrightsreserved.
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica.
Thispublicationmaynotbereproduced,
storedinaretrievalsystem,
ortransmittedinwholeorinpart,
inanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,
mechanical,photocopying,recording,orotherwise,
withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofAMACOM,
adivisionofAmericanManagementAssociation,
1601Broadway,NewYork,NY10019.
Printingnumber
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
..........................10539$ $$FM 01-14-0415:11:20 PS
Contents
Foreword ix
Preface xi
1 EmployeeSelection:HowDoIFind,Attract,and
SelecttheBest? 1
FindingYourCandidates 1
ConductingtheInterview 15
PreemploymentTestingandScreening 21
MakingtheJobOffer 25
2 HRPolicies:WhyDoWeNeedThemandWhat
ShouldTheyLookLike? 29
TheEmployeeHandbook 30
3 PerformanceManagement:HowDoIEvaluate
PerformanceandConductMeaningfulPerformance
Reviews? 41
DevelopingaPerformanceManagementSystem 42
v
..........................10539$ CNTS 01-14-0415:11:25 PS
vi C
ThePerformanceAppraisalProcess 46
ConductingthePerformanceAppraisal 55
4 TrainingandDevelopment:HowDoSuccessful
CompaniesImproveandEnhanceWorkforceSkills? 60
OrientingtheNewEmployee 61
ContinuingEmployeeDevelopment 64
5 EmployeeRelationsandRetention:HowDoIKeep
GoodEmployeesandMaintainWorkingRelationships
atAllLevels? 75
FosteringEffectiveWorkplaceCommunication 75
StructuringRewardandRecognitionPrograms 83
MaintainingWork-LifeBalance 87
ResolvingWorkplaceConflicts 93
WhenEmployeesLeave:ConductingtheExitInterview 96
6 Compensation:HowShouldEmployeesBePaid? 98
WageandHourLaws 98
TheCompensationSystem 104
VariablePay:BonusesandIncentives 113
7 Benefits:WhatMakesaBenefitsPackageCompetitive? 117
LegallyRequiredInsurancePrograms 118
..........................10539$ CNTS 01-14-0415:11:25 PS
C vii
BenefitsThatProvideEconomicSecurity 121
BenefitDays:Holidays,SickDays,andVacation 125
HealthInsurance 127
EmployeeAssistancePrograms 136
RetirementBenefits 136
OtherBenefits 141
8 RegulatoryIssues:WhatAretheMajorEmployment
LawsandHowDoIComplywithThem? 143
LawsProhibitingDiscriminatoryPractices 143
TheFamilyandMedicalLeaveAct 158
OccupationalSafetyandHealthActof1979 162
ImmigrationReformandControlActof1986 165
9 WhenBadThingsHappentoGoodEmployers:How
DoIHandleVolatileWorkplaceIssues? 169
ElectronicMail,Internet,andComputerUsage 171
ViolenceintheWorkplace 175
SubstanceAbuseintheWorkplace 179
MonitoringOtherWorkplaceDishonesty 184
ConductingEmployeeInvestigations 188
10 TerminationandDischarge:HowDoIFirean
EmployeeLegallyandHumanely? 194
TheTerminationProcess 195
..........................10539$ CNTS 01-14-0415:11:25 PS
viii C
Post-TerminationCompensationandBenefits 200
OtherPost-TerminationMatters 206
ResourceGuide 209
ToolsandTemplates 219
Index 235
..........................10539$ CNTS 01-14-0415:11:26 PS
Foreword
Overthelastfiftyyearswehavewatchedtheproductsweuseeverydayin
thehomeandintheofficebecomemoreandmorecomplexin thenever-
endingeffort tomakeourlives moreefficient. Thekitchen toasterusedto
beapop-up,two-slice toasterin the1950s. Todayyoucanmakeanentire
meal in a toaster oven on the same kitchen counter. The single phone in
the house that was familiar to many of us fifty years ago has become the
cell phone with two lines that we carry everywhere, all the time. More
complex products mean more complex production processes. Advances in
technologyintheworkplacehavesucceededinproducingamoreefficient
and productive business environment, which is good news to the stock-
holdersandstakeholdersof theglobaleconomicforcesoftoday.
Thanks to ‘‘the computer age’’ and its mind-boggling advancements,
distancebetweenpeoplehas,toagreatextent,becomeirrelevant,andtime
between events has all but disappeared. The local market now spans the
globe. The World Wide Web, coupled with a highly evolved distribution
system, allows businesses to go anywhere on the planet to find customers
andacquireresources.Therearevirtuallynomore‘‘gatekeepers’’forinfor-
mationaccesswithalmost universalWebaccess.Thesedevelopments have
hadanundeniableimpactonglobalsocietyanditsworkforce.
The‘‘company man’’of the1950s hasbecome the‘‘digital person’’of
thenewmillennium.Modernmodesofcommunicationandtransportation
have changed the nature of the family relationship. The forty-hour work-
week has expanded to the 24/7 world. The predominant two-parent,
one-income household has been diluted by an increase in the number of
single-parentwageearnersanddual-incomehouseholds.Moremothersare
working and more fathers are sharing the parenting responsibilities than
fifty years ago. Spouses commute between cities on weekends to see each
ix
..........................10539$ FRWD 01-14-0415:11:30 PS
x F
other andtheirfamilies. Theoffice hasmovedintothehome orthecaror
the airport. Communications between people are less and less face-to-face
andmoreandmorecomputer-to-computerorphone-to-phone.Thecon-
nectivity and freedom of the phone in the 1950s has become the lifeline
and electronicleashof today.
Today’s workers bring a lot more to their employers, but also demand
moreinreturn.Oneoftheseexpectationsistobegivenmoreflexibilitytobe
abletoachievetheirpersonalgoals,whatevertheymaybe.Itcouldbestarting
orraisingafamily.Itmaybemoreflexibilityintheirmedicalbenefitpackages.
It may be adjustments to the time-off practices to care for aging parents or
pursue a lifelong passion. Flexibility in workplace location is more important
tomanyworkers,forconvenienceandforfamilyreasons.Withaphone,fax,
andInternetaccesstheworkplacepossibilitiesarelimitless.
OnecouldarguethatwesternsocietyismovingupMaslow’shierarchy.
The security itemsoffood and shelterare generallytakenfor granted.Re-
ceiving a paycheck and medical benefits are just the beginning of the em-
ploymentdiscussion.Thepivotalelementsinthe‘‘offerpackage’’of today
focus on tailoring the job to the individual needs of the employees in the
workforce.Itisthesatisfactionoftheselifestyleneedsthatmakethediffer-
ence today in successful hiring and management processes. These include
work hours and days, working from home, travel requirements, family-
friendly programs and benefits, and tools that come with the job (cell
phones, computers, PDAs). To acquire the skilled hire of the twenty-first
century all of these things and more are likely to be part of the discussion.
The dissatisfied employee is highly mobile and can easily search elsewhere
for employment on the World Wide Web, where he may have found his
last jobinthefirstplace.
With a more sophisticated and educated workforce, one might think
that management of these workers should require less human resource ex-
pertise.Today’sexperiencedCEOwouldsayasmuchHRsupportisneeded
today, if not more, than was needed in the past. The HR professional of
todayhasafarmore complexrolethanbefore. Theexpandedgeographyof
todayrequiresinternationalknowledgeandskill. Thelitigiousnatureofour
societymeansmoreandmoretimespentonlegalmatters.Thehighlyregu-
latednatureofbusinesstodaymeansmoreinvolvementwithlocal,state,and
federal issues. To master this role and maintain an inviting, productive, and
supportiveclimateinwhichtoconductbusinessdemandsahighlyresponsive
andsophisticatedHRorganization.
JayS.Walker,Chairman,WalkerDigital,andfounder,
priceline.com
EileenWalker,formermanagerU.S.compensation,IBMCorp.
..........................10539$ FRWD 01-14-0415:11:30 PS