NADIA SERHANI-ELTOBGI, PHR LEADERSHIP , GLOBAL HR & HUMAN CAPITAL CONSULTANT
WASHINGTON DC nadia.serhani@gmail.com
If CEOs thought like HR
Executive Summary: One of the annual goals of every good CEO should be to reduce the company's exposure to employment litigation. The cost of state or federal litigation keeps going up, and just one employee lawsuit can make a sizeable dent in any company's fiscal budget. Here are some suggested resolutions for 2015: 1. Resolve to instruct every person who might be interviewing a prospective employee not to promise "job security," a "long and successful career," or "steady," "lifelong" or "permanent" employment. 2. Resolve that, if an employment offer is made in writing, you will leave yourself the discretion to terminate the employment at will, or upon short notice, or for reasons acceptable to management.
3. Resolve to review, and revise as necessary, all personnel manuals, application forms, employee handbooks and notices to employees to ensure that these documents cannot be read, in isolation or together, as a contract. 4. Resolve to review and update company policies dealing with electronic communications in the workplace and cell phone and internet usage. 5. If you are a non-union employer, resolve to use new employee orientation and language in the employee handbook to clearly communicate your position on the benefits of a non-union workplace. 6. Resolve to place conspicuous disclaimers on employee application forms and in the employee handbook. The disclaimer should confirm the employment-at-will status of all employees and state that it is not to be construed as a contract of employment
7. Resolve to train those individuals who will be recruiting and interviewing applicants for positions with the company regarding the questions or inquiries that are considered "prohibited" by state or federal discrimination agencies.