This past weekend, I was talking with an esteemed worker in the HR field and noted that this week, I would focus this post on HR related topics. In doing so, I came across a few HR related articles worth highlighting. Of note, I call attention to the first article that touches on the use of non-disclosure agreements for sexual harassment matters (in the workplace). To the loyal HR readers of the blog, this particular article is worth a read, given the increased attention that sexual assault in the workplace has received.
As always, below are a couple articles that caught my eye this week.
An Emerging Trend: Non-Disclosure Agreements For Sexual Harassment Matters
By now, readers are likely familiar with the #MeToo movement which has brought attention to sexual harassment matters in the workplace. Kate Palmer over at The HR Director wrote an article which points out a troubling trend that she has found: rather than non-disclosure agreements being used to protect a company’s trade secrets, there instead often being used to silence sexual harassment victims in the workplace. Kate points out that while non-disclosure agreements cannot be used to prevent an employee from making a protected disclosure nor be used to prohibit disclosure of acts of sexual harassment which are in breach of the Equality Act 2010 (for those that work in the United Kingdom), many employees are not aware of this and therefore sign non-disclosure agreements. Couple this with the fact that many employees also feel ‘compelled’ to sign the non-disclosures or risk being terminated, Kate suggested that non-disclosure agreements are therefore having the unintended impact of improperly silencing victims of sexual assault in the workplace.
The Importance of a (Good) Employee Handbook
Tigerhr published a well thought out article in regard to the importance of employers creating or maintaining an employee handbook. Not only does this article provide a few suggestions for what an employee handbook should include (such as information on how the employer handles sick leave, performance expectations, and discipline procedures), but advice is given on how employers can better format their handbooks and help shape the company’s culture. As always, not every piece of advice will apply to everyone in the HR field. However, some insightful ideas are provided to make this article worth a read.
The Importance of a (Good) Employee Handbook
Tigerhr published a well thought out article in regard to the importance of employers creating or maintaining an employee handbook. Not only does this article provide a few suggestions for what an employee handbook should include (such as information on how the employer handles sick leave, performance expectations, and discipline procedures), but advice is given on how employers can better format their handbooks and help shape the company’s culture. As always, not every piece of advice will apply to everyone in the HR field. However, some insightful ideas are provided to make this article worth a read.
A few weeks ago, readers might recall that a large scale walkout occurred by many Google employees in an effort, in part, to draw attention to their belief that the company improperly handled sexual assault allegations that were made against several of the company’s executives. In addition, last week the company announced it was ending its mandatory arbitration requirement of sexual misconduct claims, in response to the walkout. HR Dive published a follow up article that took a look at five demands made by the Google employees that they want the company to address. Employers take note, this article provides an analysis of how each of these five demands can be used as a lesson (or guide) on how to strengthen your own HR department and policies. While each demand and subsequent analysis might not apply to all, this article is worth a quick review.
Handling Religious Accomodations: A Few Tips
The HR Daily Advisor recently addressed a topic that many in the HR field are confronted with: How to properly address a religious accommodation request by an employee. In this article, five helpful pointers are provided to help employers navigate the process. As the article suggests, no two accommodation requests are identical. Rather, employers are advised to treat each request individually and maintain an open dialogue with the employee that requests the accommodation. Whether any of these five suggestions apply to your HR office is difficult to say. Nevertheless, one (or more) of the tips could prove beneficial the next time your employee makes a religious accommodation request.
Handling Religious Accomodations: A Few Tips
The HR Daily Advisor recently addressed a topic that many in the HR field are confronted with: How to properly address a religious accommodation request by an employee. In this article, five helpful pointers are provided to help employers navigate the process. As the article suggests, no two accommodation requests are identical. Rather, employers are advised to treat each request individually and maintain an open dialogue with the employee that requests the accommodation. Whether any of these five suggestions apply to your HR office is difficult to say. Nevertheless, one (or more) of the tips could prove beneficial the next time your employee makes a religious accommodation request.
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