Two Domino’s Pizza employees decided to create a video of a prank where one filmed the other sticking a piece of cheese up his nose and then placing it on a sandwich, appearing to be delivered to a customer. They posted the video on YouTube. After more than a million hits, Domino’s was faced with a gross-out PR nightmare, as well as, the health department at their door.

According to Deloitte, 22% of employees admit to using social networking 5 or more times per week, with 15% admitting they use it at work for personal reasons. Having a formal policy may be a great idea for your company to protect you from situations such as the one described above.

According to a Society of Human Resource Management report, below are specific guidelines for drafting a policy on employee’s use of Twitter or other social networking tools.

-Don’t let personal use of Twitter or other social networking sites interfere with work
-Employees must get company approval to use Twitter to conduct business (Many organizations have successfully incorporated Twitter into their marketing strategies)
-Any use of organization’s name, trademarks, logos, or other intellectual property must be approved.
-If employees make personal comments about any aspect of the organization’s business, their profiles must carry a disclaimer that the views expressed are their own, and not the organization’s.
-Tweets may not disclose confidential or proprietary information.
-Employees should use common sense regarding what they post.

Crafting the policy – 5 Key Questions to Ask Yourself
1. Determine how far you want to reach, i.e., at work only or at work and home.
2. Do you want to permit social networking at work at all?
3. How will you monitor social networking at work (if permitted)?
4. Are employees allowed to identify with your business when networking online?
5. How is “appropriate business behavior” defined?

Need help with your policy? Contact us today at info@experthrconsultants.com or call us (877) 356-6175.

Not sure which employment laws apply to you? Below is a list of employment laws by the number of employees at your company.
1 – 14 employees
-Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
-Equal Pay Act
-National Labor Relations Act
-Uniformed Services and Re-employment Rights Act of 1994
-Uniform Guidelines for Employment Selection Procedures
-Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA)
-Employee Polygraph Protection Act
-Consumer Credit Protection Act
-Labor Management Relations Act
-Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
-Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA)
-OSHA
15 – 19 Employees need to add
-Pregnancy Discrimination Act
-ADA
-Civil Rights Act of 1964
-Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
-Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA)
20 – 49 Employees need to add
-Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
-COBRA
Greater Than 49 Employees need to add
-Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
-EEO-1 Report filed annually with EEOC (Federal Contractors)
Greater Than 99 Employees need to add
-Worker Adjustment & Retaining Notification Act (WARN)
-EEO-1 Report Filed Annually with EEOC if not a federal contractor
-Executive Orders – Federal Contractors (please visit government website for numbers)
-Vocational Rehab Act – Federal Contractors
-Drug Free Workplace Act – Federal Contractors
-Vietnam-Era Veterans Adjustment Act – Federal Contractors
-Davis Bacon Act – Federal Contractors
-Copeland Act – Federal Contractors
-McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act – Federal Contractors
-Walsh-Healy Act – Federal Contractors

Please note this is not an all inclusive list of all employment legislation. It is a mere guide to assist small business. Please check with your attorney, legal department or human resource management for specific questions and/or assistance.

Employee lawsuits are on the rise and 71% of employee related claims are settled in favor of the employee.  It is crucial for companies to reduce the risk of lawsuits by creating a legally compliant  employee handbook/manual.

The manual should address all areas of policy and procedure  and can limit or even avoid punitive damages.  Employee manuals should address everything from clear, precise vacation policies to strict compliance procedures.

Employee handbooks should contain:

¨ A clearly defined mission statement

¨ Work hours

¨ Pay schedule

¨ EEO statement

¨ Family Medical Leave Act provisions

(for employers with 50+ employees)

¨ Sexual harassment policy

¨ Drug and alcohol policy

¨ Benefits

¨ Safe workplace

¨ Conduct rules

Bold disclaimers should be included in all employee handbooks as well as a clear explanation of “at-will” employment.  Court decisions have even created rights for employers to limit an employees’ access to the court system and restrict them to the arbitration process.  It is always safer to rely upon written procedures rather than common practices of the business or unwritten procedures.  Do not think that the employee manual is not important, it takes only one time to realize that it was a mistake by not having one, and by that time, it could be too late.

Call or e-mail TODAY for a

FREE EMPLOYEE MANUAL REVIEW!

(877) 356-6175/(810) 789-7711 OR info@experthrconsultants.com