Self Audit II

In the last column, we provided a self test to help save businesses form trouble. In this column, we continue the self audit identifying additional issues that commonly lead to employee relations problems on result in legal claims. Check your firms practices by answering Yes or No to the following questions.

9.	Does your firm use some sort of performance appraisal process to recognize employee achievements and to correct performance problems?	YES	NO
10.	Are workplace accidents promptly and thoroughly investigated with results recorded in the "OSHA Log"?	YES	NO
11.	If employees work with chemical substances, does your firm maintain a written hazard communication plan with chemical safety data sheets and employee training on safe practices?	YES	NO
12.	Have disciplinary rules been defined to advise employees of inappropriate or prohibited conduct in the job?	YES	NO
13.	Are corrective or disciplinary actions administed in a consistent manner for all employees with warnings documented on a warning form?	YES	NO
14.	Does your firm's employee handbook define the employment-at-will relationship and avoid complex procedures on employment separation?	YES	NO
15.	Are employees using company computers, E-Mail or internet advised that communications are not private, and may be subject to monitoring by management?	YES	NO
16.	Are employees advised if management determines the need to conduct workplace searches, or surveillance on monitoring of communications?	YES	NO

	ANSWER KEY
The desired answer to each question should be a Yes. Any No response may create a human resources problem or a potential legal liability as defined below:

9.	Written performance appraisals are an effevtive way to recognize good performers, justify pay adjustments, and to correct problem performers. This helps to demonstrate fair administration of policy and supports management action in unemployment insurance hearings in discrimination claims.
10.	Prompt and thorough investigation of accidents helps to prevent their re-occurance and helps to minimize the likelihood of workers compenstion fraud. Record accidents in the OSHA log and post the log in February of each year.
11.	Firms which use chemical substances are required by federal regulations to maintain a written hazard communication plan. Failure to have a written "haz-com" plan will result in fines, penalties, and safety inspections.
12.	A publised list of disciplinary rules helps to prevent misconduct and supports a supervisors decision if corrective action is needed to correct misconduct.
13.	Human resources experts recommend that disciplinary warnings be documented on a warning form. This helps to demonstrate fair administration of policy and supports management action in unemployment insurance hearings in discrimination claims.
14.	A properly prepared employee handbook with a prominant disclaimer helps to protect management's employment -at-will prerogitive, and minimizes the likelihood of six figure law suit settlements for wrongful discharge.
15.	One of the growing concerns is preventing sexual harassment and privacy invasion claims because an E-Mail and computer use policy was not defined.
16.	Invasion of employee privacy on the job has emerged as an area of growing legal claims. Just as we submit to a serch when boarding commercial aircraft, carefully defined polices communicated to employees helps to justify the security or loss control reason for such actions and to minimize a privacy expectation.

Develop or revise your firms policies so that you can answer Yes to these questions. For questions and answers 1-8, contact my voice mail (630-513-9494) or E-Mail (WSHubbartt @ Hubbartt.com).