Posts Tagged ‘human resources’

Benefits Of Sexual Harassment Prevention Training In The Workplace

July 16th, 2010

While work related sexual harassment is certainly not a recent problem, legal liability for it has only recently gained legislative attention. The first sexual harassment case under Title VII was decided in 1976. In 1991, Title VII was amended to allow victims of sexual harassment to recover damages under federal law. In 1993, a Supreme Court decision made it easier to adjudicate injury under this law. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission states that all covered employers should provide sexual harassment training and several states have taken those guidelines to more specific extremes. California’s AB 1825 of 2004 is among the strictest and most demanding of these requirements. For businesses in these states, providing training is not just good prevention, it isrequisite. Furthermore, recent decisions have upheld complaints against businesses that did not disseminate or enforce policy, even though policy was in place.

But compliance and legal liability are not the only reasons a credible business should provide anti-harassment training to its employees. In 2009, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission received 12,696 charges filed under Title VII alleging sexual harassment discrimination. Even though about half (47.7%) were closed with “No Reasonable Cause”, the reported cost of those claims was $51.5 Million dollars, NOT including monetary benefits obtained through litigation. In addition, costs resulting from employee morale can not be unheeded. The article, “Sexual Harassment in the Fortune 500,” (Working Woman, Dec. 19, 1988) claims that “ignoring problems of sexual harassment can cost the average company up to $6.7 million a year in low productivity, low morale, and employee turnover and absenteeism.”

Some businesses have feared that implementing training programs would encourage lawsuits, but according to Caren Goldberg of American University’s Kogod School of Business, “If an employer is sued, proof that sexual harassment training was offered may be one of the best defenses.” A study in the journal, Psychology of Women Quarterly, shows that subjects were no less likely to seek legal counsel after receiving sexual harassment training than the control group that did not receive training. Considering the high number of “No Reasonable Cause” claims, training could even potentially reduce impulsive claims by educating employees to interpret what does NOT constitute a violation and by demonstrating non-litigous ways to address concerns.

Another roadblock to providing training is the cost of doing so itself. With the passage of California’s AB 1825 training mandates, there quickly followed an explosion in the training industry. Many sexual harassment prevention courses and price points are available to choose from. Employers can select from on-site, in-person guest trainers, online webinar courses, and web-based training courses where employees work at their own pace and receive personalized instruction through email and IM.

Companies that adopt quality sexual harassment policies and then provide quality training to their employees can create positive and productive corporate cultures that will impact their bottom line and have employees lining up at the door to apply.

For more information about online sexual harassment training online and how it can help your business, visit New Media Learning, the market leaders in employee compliance training.


Safety & Fall Protection

May 26th, 2010

The Mohawk Aboriginal First Nations People of Quebec Canada has developed a unique trade among their community members. Worldwide they are known as workers whose expertise is to work high above the ground building the world’s skyscrapers. All throughout the world the highest buildings reaching to the sky are testament to their unique abilities to work at great heights in safety. “Ironworkers” they are called in the construction and employment trades.

Working with heights has the nature of working on elevated platforms. These platforms must be free from trapping points and space must fit appropriately to the worker. Guide rails are another protection from serious injury that provides sufficient edge defense. It must be strong, fixed with sufficient support to avoid people from falling. Guiderails must be firm to endure other loads to fall. The main guide rail is at least 910 mm above the edge, while the toe board is at least 150 mm high.

Edge protection and platforms are not enough to prevent workers from falling. Harness and safety nets are another height safety protection to reduce possible injury. Harness must be attached to tough anchor point to prevent from falling.

Safety harnesses are not an option of convenience and preference. They should and must be worn at all times. Secondly safety nets must be placed underneath the platform. It does not take a genius to figure out that as much as humanely possible avoid working in wet or windy condition. The weather can destroy platforms, thus, a worker would fall if not inspected. Use sun glasses and appropriate clothing to protect eyes and from excessive heat.

On the other hand, platform and edge protection are not sufficient to avoid accident like falling. Safety nets and harness are supplementary fall protection. Harness must be fit firmly to the body and connected to a strong anchor point. A net should be properly placed underneath the platform to reduce the risk of probable accident. Safety is always a must for a heights worker. Fall protective equipments are provided to lessen the injury and possible accident. Thus, neglecting safety rules and equipments move life one foot forward to death.

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The Top Five Reasons to Check Arrest Records Online – running an arrest records check

January 4th, 2010

A true feeling of security. That’s what an arrest records check can give you. You can find out important information when you check arrest records online, such as if your child’s new scout leader is a sex offender of the half a million currently registered in America. You can also reveal criminal motor vehicle violations with an arrest records check. Just perfect for screening the new candidate for the driving position that just opened at your company.

Now when you check arrest records database websites have made it easier than ever before. Here are the top 5 reasons an online criminal database is a valuable online resource for information that can help protect you and your business.

You want fast results. If your little girl has a new tennis coach, you want to know if he has a sex crime conviction now-not in the week or two it might take to get the information from the county clerk. Using an online database service allows you to check arrest records right away.

You want reliable results. While the neighborhood grapevine can reveal if the next-door neighbor orders in that crab dip she passes off as her own, it might not give you reliable information about the new guy on the block. To check arrest records, you need information from more trusted sources. Running an arrest records check through an online database provides results directly from public records kept in courthouses and law enforcement agencies.

The need to be discreet. Peering out from the bushes or interviewing a person’s former roommates are just impractical and time-consuming, they’re also not the most tactful ways to run an arrest records check. If you want to conduct a discreet arrest warrant check, leave the private eye tactics to the professionals and, instead, focus on getting results easily and safely from the privacy of your own home.

You want easy access. You don’t need a degree in library science to run an arrest records check through an online criminal database. Simply entering the name of the person in question into the search field is enough to uncover critical information about sex offender registries, bankruptcies, liens, or an arrest warrant. Check arrest records online with the same ease that you look for online flyers from the local grocery store.

More bang for the buck. A online arrest records check really is a great value for the money spent. Some criminal database sites may check arrest records for free, but most charge a nominal fee to access detailed information. In most cases, these fees are far less than what you’d spend for candy, gum and junk food during the week-that’s a small price to pay, especially if the search reveals your new neighbor has a history of violent crime.

When you check arrest records there is nothing to feel guilty about. It’s perfect justifiable and people do it everyday. When you run an arrest records check or an arrest warrant check, you are protecting you and your business. It will give you peace of mind knowing you’ve done all you can to protect you and what’s important to you in life.

Adam Toscano is a frequent writer of articles on protecting yourself, family and business. He suggests before you check arrest records online seek opinions on the best sites to run arrest warrant checks and outstanding warrant search lookups.


Protecting You Small Business With A Background Check for Employment

December 31st, 2009

When asked what can the best background service do for small business, the answer was both simple and a bit complex at the same time. In the US, a growing concern we are facing is the security and safety of potential employees, job applicants and business partners.

If you think that you can go through life meeting people socially, making business arrangements with new associates and hiring employees without encountering someone who is not a risk to the safety of your business then don’t read any further.

The best background check service for employment provides data that you can rely on accurate information to ensure that when engaged in these activities the people you are dealing with are who they say they are and do not have prior criminal records.

Many have read the story of the landscaper in Southern Florida who ran an upscale landscaping business with his son. When his son recommended that he run employment background checks on his employees, he hesitated. One day his workers began scouting the neighborhood of palatial homes and mansions to choreograph a string of home invasion robberies. They were eventually caught and identified, and the landscaper had to deal with a huge criminal liability that cost him countless thousands in legal fees and a cease in business operation during the investigation.

With the world wide web at our fingertips, using the best background check service has been proven to be highly effective in screening potential employees and protect both your business and your clients. Be sure to choose one that delivers fast, up-to-date, accurate results in an all-inclusive report. Fast, easy and simple are of major importance here.

With so many inferior services flooding the market, a great deal of U.S. residents will not be covered in these unreliable, outdated databases so you’ll want to be sure you use a company that covers at least 90% of all U.S. residents.

Long gone are the days of making a trip to your local courthouse to research public records with online criminal background checks. Even high-profile investigators are tapping into the power on the internet to run online background checks.

So when you do choose an online criminal background check service, choose one that will discreetly allow you to access to instant, accurate reports with nationwide coverage. Do some informed research on the company you choose by using consumer opinion sites. You’ll be glad that you did.

Adam Toscano has spent the last 12 years researching statistical data on small business safety and the best practices involving hiring and background investigation. Seek answers to questions regarding a background check for employment to find the best background check service for your needs


The Simple Way To Do Employment Background Checks

December 14th, 2009

Running employee background checks are an important part of any hiring process. This gives an employer a perfect way to find out background information on their applicants that they wouldn’t be able to find out otherwise. This can be a critical step in finding out if the applicant is an appropriate candidate for the job.

Unfortunately, many employers skip this step and end up regreting it in the future. By running a simple background check, you are able to find out someone’s history in full. This includes any criminal records, employer records, address history and all sorts of other information about the individual.

This could help anyone’s employment process. Just one employee background check could uncover lots of important information. If an applicant has lied on his or her resume or has a criminal record you haven’t been told about, you’ll find out. That could help you make sure you’re choosing the right employee.

Job applicants should probably run checks on themselves, too. That’s so they’ll know what an employer will see, and can address any false information. Sometimes, there’s even something in our pasts that we forget to bring up, but which could lose us the job if it’s hidden.

Having your background report on hand before the interview lets you anticipate any and all questions, and you’ll be able to decide what the best response is to all of them. You’ll also get a better idea what your potential employer does and does not know about you.

So how do you run an employee background check?

It used to be complicated, and investigative services were required. Now, anyone can do a background check of this kind just by going online.

That’s because the Internet contains a number of companies that have put together full background databases on almost everyone. Just log into the site, enter the name you want to inquire about, and you’ll get all the information available on that person.

These companies charge a small fee for their service. Usually you will have two options: you can pay a fee for a one-time charge or you can pay a membership fee that will give you unlimited searches on as many people as you want. Typically the membership option is only about two times the price of a single background report so it clearly is the best value – especially if you are in the shoes of an employer.

Any company that’s trying to find the right people for their positions should make sure to do background checks on all applicants. This screening process is inexpensive, easy, and effective.

Click Here for a free sample employee background check directly from your keypad. Employee Background Checks are a critical part of any company’s hiring process – don’t forget this important step!

categories: employee background checks,human resources,hiring,interviews,business,legal,background checks,careers,jobs