Suzanne Lucas spent 10 years in corporate human resources, where she hired, fired, managed the numbers and double-checked with the lawyers. Read more at www.evilhrlady.org. On Twitter @RealEvilHRLady.
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Dilemma of the Month: Can I Go on Vacation While I’m Baby Bonding?
I know I was singled out because I’m an HR employee and was told,
“It looks bad,” but do you think I should tell my boss
(nicely and professionally) to shove it and that I’ll bond with
my next baby any way I see fit?
Dilemma of the Month: Do I Have to Use My PTO for Appointments?
A salaried employee works over 50 hours a week, but her manager
still insists that she use PTO to cover a half-day appointment.
Is this legal?
Dilemma of the Month: Am I Too Aggressive, or Is My Accuser Being Sexist?
“After working in HR for 30 years, I was told today that I was
‘too aggressive’ and that I came across as if I had an
agenda. I have never had someone say this to me before…” Is he
right? Evil HR Lady weighs in.
Dilemma of the Month: How Do I Deal With a Micromanager?
Boss always looking over your shoulder? Evil HR Lady says
they may be a control freak, or it could be due
to poor performance on your end. Here’s how to move
forward.
Dilemma of the Month: How Do I Respond to Requests for References?
Evil HR Lady explains the difference between a background check
and a reference check, and why employers don’t need to answer
every question.
Dilemma of the Month: What’s Wrong With an Open-Concept Office?
Evil HR Lady says you can’t hold FMLA or ADA against an employee,
but you can still hold them accountable for their work when they
are there.
Dilemma of the Month: Can I Fire an Employee on Medical Leave?
Evil HR Lady says you can’t hold FMLA or ADA against an employee,
but you can still hold them accountable for their work when they
are there.
Dilemma of the Month: Can the Boss Take Zoom Calls in the Shower?
Obviously, no. But getting him to behave may require an
attorney.
Dilemma of the Month: Can Someone Work Two Full-Time Jobs?
Evil HR Lady says it’s a fine line for hourly employees, but
it’s not illegal.
Dilemma of the Month: How Do I Document an Employee’s Unethical Behavior?
Evil HR Lady explains why objective documentation is key when it
comes to “toxic” employees.
Dilemma of the Month: Why Is My Coworker So Grumpy?
When does being a jerk become breaking the law? Evil HR Lady
tackles this question and more.
Dilemma of the Month: Does the Fair Chance Act Mean I Have to Hire Criminals?
Evil HR Lady shares how to protect employees while following California’s new law.
Dilemma of the Month: What Happens When a Leader Gets Demoted?
I have an employee, Jeff, who is high up in his role at a very large company. He is among the top leaders of the organization. However, he is being slightly demoted due to his behavior and inability to meet the expectations of the role.
Dilemma of the Month: What Should I Do About My Boss’s Memory Loss?
Our new CEO has been at our nonprofit for approximately six months. As the director of HR, the vice presidents and I went to our board with concerns regarding our new leader and his memory issues. He can’t remember the decisions he makes. I know there’s such a thing as a fitness-for-duty test, but these are usually centered around physical fitness. Where do I go from here?
Dilemma of the Month: Should WFH or WIO workers get paid more?
I have a weird problem. We have some jobs that can be done
remotely, and some must be done on-site. Several employees who
can work remotely moved during the pandemic, so they couldn’t
come in without moving back. But the problem is that both the WFH
(work from home) and the WIO (work in office) think they deserve
salary increases because of their working conditions.
Dilemma of the Month: Can My Boss Hold ‘Boys Only’ Work Events?
I currently work for a small mom-and-pop company of only 11
employees, including the owners. The owners are husband and wife,
65 and 75 years old. The co-owner (husband) keeps having
“boys only” events, such as weekly happy hours and trips on his
boats; women are not invited.
Dilemma of the Month: Can a Manager Be Paid Less Than Her Direct Report?
A brand-new HR director discovers that an employee earns
$13K more than her director, who oversees a team of 10. What
should she do after the manager requests a pay increase?
Dilemma of the Month: Can I Fire an Intern?
What do you do when an intern isn’t working out? Well, with an employee, you’d probably put them on a performance improvement plan and tell them to shape up or ship out. But should you be so harsh with the intern? The answer: Yes, with caution.
Dilemma of the Month: How Do I Get People to Do Their HR Tasks?
People often neglect the HR aspects of their jobs, even failing to take these tasks seriously. From one HR pro to another, Evil HR Lady tells how to rally employees and coax leadership onboard — and when to let it go.
Dilemma of the Month: How Can I Move Up in My Company?
A newcomer inquires how to get ahead and advance in their field. Evil HR Lady offers advice for how to become valuable to coworkers and bosses, and how to identify a mentor.
Dilemma of the Month: What Are Managers Supposed to Do, Anyway?
People get promoted to management roles because they are good at doing the work, but managing the work is nothing like doing the work, Evil HR Lady says. Here are three things new managers should know.
Dilemma of the Month: Why Do My Employees Feel Picked On?
A manager who follows the adage ”praise in public, punish in private” is finding that employees are starting to feel singled out for their bad behavior. Evil HR Lady offers some advice on how and when to dole out feedback.
Dilemma of the Month: How Can I Help an Employee With Anxiety and PTSD?
When an employee has a PTSD episode in the break room, an employer wonders if and how to offer help. Evil HR Lady advises how to verify a disability and reviews issues of accommodation and confidentiality.
Dilemma of the Month: How Can I Change a Company’s Racist Culture?
As a human resources professional, you can’t eradicate people’s racist thoughts. But, Evil HR Lady asserts, you can change the company culture so people know that they cannot get away with harassment.
Dilemma of the Month: Is the Customer Really Always Right?
The customer is not always right — and is sometimes profoundly wrong. Evil HR Lady presents the moral and legal obligations employers have to their employees if a customer harasses them.
Dilemma of the Month: How Do You Document Harassment Without Getting Yourself in Hot Water?
HR people often advise victims of harassment to “just document everything!” without explaining how to go about it. Here’s a quick guide to what you need to do when you’re documenting harassment.
Dilemma of the Month: What should I do with an employee who won’t stop complaining?
A manager frustrated with an employee who frequently complains wonders if the problem lies with their management style, the team or the employee. Evil HR Lady offers perspective and potential solutions.
Dilemma of the Month: How Can I Share Managing Duties With a Manager Who’s Totally Different?
When a hybrid schedule creates an odd split with two people managing the entire staff half the time, one manager wonders how to deal with the difference in styles.
Dilemma of the Month: I Fire Bad Employees. Why Do I Have to Pay for Their Unemployment Benefits?
For an employer tired of paying for the unemployment benefits of “bad employees” they let go, Evil HR Lady prescribes getting to the root of the termination problem.
Dilemma of the Month: Do I Need to Pay Employees When the Power Goes Out?
When remote workers encounter power outages, can employers require verification? What’s a fair amount of time for employees to be on standby?
Dilemma of the Month: My Employee Is Lunching With a Player. Should I Warn Her?
An employer seeks answers about the ethics and boundaries of commenting on an employee’s personal life.
Our Employees Can’t Work From Home. How Do We Make Their Lives More Flexible?
An employer seeks out ways to offer staff members flexibility when working from home isn’t an option.
Dilemma of the Month: How Can I Attract Entry-Level Candidates Without Raising Pay?
An employer struggles with how to attract entry-level applicants without being able to increase their wages.
Dilemma of the Month: Why Are My Bosses Siding With a Toxic Employee?
A department head feels undermined by a direct report. What’s the
next step: discipline, take responsibility or simply move on?
Dilemma of the Month: Can I Make My Remote Workers Come Back?
Yes, employers can ask employees to come back to the office or
face termination — but should they?
Dilemma of the Month: How Can I Get Managers to Help More?
Managers should be involved in writing job descriptions, hiring
employees and evaluating performance — shouldn’t
they?
Dilemma of the Month: My Employees Want More Money. I Have None.
When people talk about greedy CEOs, they forget the CEOs who
are desperately trying to keep businesses afloat and paying
people more than they themselves take home.
Dilemma of the Month: Should I Suspend a Manager Accused of Bullying?
Well-intentioned policies can backfire unless they
are flexible and look at the whole situation.
Dilemma of the Month: My Company Stopped Giving Bonuses, but My Coworker Got One
Did bonuses really go away, or did the company
change the criteria or change the bonuses to be entirely
discretionary?
Dilemma of the Month: How Can I Get My Employees to Take Sick Leave and Paid Time Off?
Employers have paid time off for a reason. How can they encourage
employees to use it?
Dilemma of the Month: Can I Still Be Friends With My New Supervisor?
An employee gets promoted to become the supervisor of a close
friend. Can they maintain their friendship?
Dilemma of the Month: How Do I Deal With a Trash-Talking Employee?
Employees complain about bosses all the time. What happens when
the boss overhears?
Dilemma of the Month: Should You Draw the Line With Employees’ Individuality?
“Authentic self” doesn’t necessarily mean behaving at work the
way one does at home.
Evil HR Lady on Comstock’s Talks: Should a New Hire Be Allowed to Take a Trip?
PODCAST: Take a trip with the Evil HR Lady as she answers a question about a new hire who wants to go on vacation.
Dilemma of the Month: Should a New Hire Be Allowed to Take a Trip?
A new hire says he’s taking a trip that he scheduled before
applying for the job. What are his employer’s options?
Evil HR Lady on Comstock’s Talks: Were You Passed Over for a Promotion?
PODCAST: Didn’t land a promotion you think you deserved? Here’s what you can and should do.
Dilemma of the Month: Were You Passed Over for a Promotion?
Didn’t land a promotion you think you deserved? Here’s what you
can and should do.
Evil HR Lady on Comstock’s Talks: Switching Careers Doesn’t Mean Starting Over
PODCAST: Is it ever too late to change careers?
Dilemma of the Month: Switching Careers Doesn’t Mean Starting Over
Just because you are new to a field, don’t think you need to
start at the bottom.
Evil HR Lady on Comstock’s Talks: Be Fair When Considering Outside Candidates
PODCAST: How can employers solicit outside candidates for open positions without offending employees?