Do you have a question about Human Resources, management or work in general?

Questions from readers are answered regularly. This is a consolidation of reader

questions from the past so that all of you can benefit from answers that may fit
questions that you have, too.

Please note that because of the amount of email received, it is difficult to personally
respond to all questions. The questions most likely to receive a response are less
personal and more universal in nature. Your questions and the answers need to assist
the maximum number of readers.

Following is a list of the questions and answers posted, to date, by topic.

About HR Questions

Readers have many questions about the practice of Human Resources, in general. The
answers provided in this section respond to common questions.

 Are HR Staff Professionals?

 Can HR Staff Have Friends at Work?
 Can You Explain How HR Thinks?
 Do Managers Listen to HR?
 Have a Successful Career in HR?
 What's an HR Job Really Like, Strategic or Not?

Careers in HR Questions

In addition to the general questions about HR, readers ask questions that are specific to
starting and succeeding in a career in HR.

 Do HR Leaders Need a Degree?

 Expand Career in HR Beyond Current Job?
 How Can I Transition to HR for a Mid-Career, Mid-Level Job?
 How to Find a Job in HR?
 How to Land a Human Resources Job?
  Pursue a Career Change Within the HR Department?
 Qualified for an HR Job With a Two Year Degree?
 Start in HR Above Entry Level When Experienced in Other Fields?
 Transition into HR for a Mid-Career, Mid-Level Job?
 Transition to a Career in HR?

Compensation Questions

Readers ask many questions that are related to compensation because compensation
in many organizations is never explained. This makes it a "not to be talked about"
conversation so readers turn for advice.

 Ask for a Pay Raise at His Troubled Company?

 Ask for a Promised Raise?
 How Do You Compensate Exempt Employees for Overnight and Weekend
Travel?
 How to Handle Pay for Two Week's Notice When an Employee Resigns?
 Late Performance Evaluation So No Raise?

Employee Career Questions

Frequently, readers ask questions that have to do with making progress in their careers.
Career progress is a popular topic as it means more money, power, and satisfaction for
many people.

 How to Get a Promotion in Current Company Instead of Leaving?

 Finding a Perfect Career?
 How to Prep for an Internal Job Interview?
 Resignation Letter, Sincerity About Reasons, or Not?
 What Can You Hope to Accomplish by Including It in Your Resignation Letter?

Employee Discipline Related Questions

How does a reader approach various situations that require discipline? Discipline is a
tricky subject for many employers because it is fraught with legal implications. They also
want to treat employees fairly and with professionalism.

 Fire an Employee Who Has a Poisonous Attitude?

 Put an Employee on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP): Correctly and
Effectively?

Employee Management and Relations Questions

How to effectively manage and interact with employees receives a lot of attention from
readers. They want to identify the most effective ways to respond to various situations.

 How to Manage an Employee Performance Challenge (Entitled, Burdened)?

 Performance Appraisal Systems That Rank, Rate, and Artificially Limit?
 Rehire a Fired Employee?
 Respond to an Employee Who Says He Is Job Searching?
 Unfair: Changed Rating in Performance Review?
 Bring Up Retirement With an Older Employee
 What Can Be Done About Bullying That Doesn't Meet the Legal Definition of
Hostile?
 How to Talk With an Employee About a Personal Hygiene Issue

Hiring, Interviewing, and Selection Related Questions

Many questions relate to the experience of employers in trying to recruit, interview, and
select candidates for their open jobs. These questions also relate to how organizations
carry out the process of recruiting and hiring employees.

 Manager of the New Employee Was Not Included in the Hiring Process?
 Are Group Interviews More Effective Than One-on-Ones?
 Acknowledge Receipt of Job Applications?
 How to Turn Down Job Applicants Right

Interpersonal Relationships Questions

Interpersonal relationships and how to most effectively pursue managing them are
covered by these answers to the questions of the HR content readers.

 Are Coworkers Negative About Non-Drinkers?

 Can Coworker's Documentation of Her Every Action Hurt Her?
 Can She Discuss With Coworker How His Competitiveness About All Work Is
Making Them Look and Affecting Performance?
 Deal With an Employer Who Tracks Employee Minutes?
 Deal With Coworker's Harassing Behavior?
 Employee Won't Trust Coworkers Enough to Share Work?
 What Can You Do When Bullying Morphs Into Mobbing?
 Are Group Interviews More Effective Than One-on-Ones?

Job Candidate Questions

These are questions and answers that readers have about how to most effectively
search for a job. The current job market is a candidate's market but it has not always
been this way, and undoubtedly, this will change again in the future.

 Can Employers Ask Your Age?

 Can Employers Legally Ask for My Social Security Number on the Job
Application?
 How to Get Past the HR Gatekeeper When Applying for Jobs?
 Let the Potential Employer Know Dates of Interview Availability?
 What to Tell Potential Employers About Being Terminated From Their Last Job?

Performing Your HR Job Questions

These questions and answers relate directly to how HR professionals can best perform
their jobs. Especially in a business climate that is beset by frequent threats of litigation,
HR staff need nondiscriminatory, professionally appropriate approaches to handling
most situations people experience at work.

 Grounds for a Hostile Work Environment Lawsuit?

  How to Control Intermittent FMLA Use and Abuse?
 How to Create a Procedure Manual?
 How to Make a Monthly Employee Recognition Program Effective?
 How to Do HR Business Planning?
 Re-establish and Rewrite Particularly Detailed Dress Code?
 Stay Up-to-Date on Changing Employment Laws and Regulations?
 When Do You Notify Coworkers That an Employee Has Resigned?

Training, Development, and Assessment Questions

Workforce training, education, and development questions and answers are needed by
employers. They realize that the ability to grow their skills and career is a key factor in
how and why organizations retain their employees.

 Differentiate Skills and Abilities in a KSA (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

Assessment?

Workplace Policies Questions

Employers have many questions about when and how to make policy. Most workplaces
have too many policies. This is because employers make policies to address the bad
behavior of a few employees rather than addressing the behavior of the outlying
employees individually.

 Are Dress Codes Legal?

 Can Former Employer Access His Company Email Legally After He Was Fired?
 Deal With Visible Employee Underwear?
 Did Employee Violate Company Expense Policy by Traveling With Her Pet?
 Discuss Personnel Issues Via Email?
 Do You Recommend Flexible Hours as Your Work Schedule for Employees?
 Employee Handbooks Required by Law?
 Employees Selling Food at Work?
 How Should an Open Door Policy Work: Really?
 Jobs Without Titles: Pros and Cons?
  Should Employees Share Rooms on Business Trips?

The Bottom Line

Human Resources practitioners, managers, and even individual employees can benefit
from the answers provided to other readers over the years. This piece is an excellent
consolidation of answers that beginning and mid-career HR professionals look to for
answers to their frequent questions. Bookmark so you can frequently visit.

Disclaimer: Please note that the information provided, while authoritative, is not
guaranteed for accuracy and legality. The site is read by a world-wide audience and
employment laws and regulations vary from state to state and country to country.
Please seek legal assistance, or assistance from State, Federal, or International
governmental resources, to make certain your legal interpretation and decisions are
correct for your location. This information is provided for guidance, ideas, and
assistance.

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