IN THIS ISSUE:

2. Every Year: Employees Misplace Their W-2s

3. Free Report: The 10 Most Common Legal Mistakes Made By Human Resources

4. HR Soapbox: Ban These Business Buzzwords!

AHI's We Couldn't Make This Up

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating allegations that an air traffic controller allowed his two elementary school-aged children to direct traffic at New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport.  In broadcasted transmissions, the children are heard directing pilots, who didn't appear at all fazed by taking direction from a young child.  At one point, an adult voice is heard telling a pilot, "This is what you guys get when the kids are out of school."  The employee and his supervisor have been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.

1. FEATURE STORY: DISRUPTED SLEEP SCHEDULE AFFECTS WORKER SAFETY ON ALL SHIFTS

It's important to keep a watchful eye on employees when we "spring ahead" into Daylight Saving Time, which begins at 2 a.m. on March 14 this year. A Michigan State University study that was published in the September 2009 issue of Journal of Applied Psychology found a 5.7% increase in the number of injuries on the Monday following the time shift forward, and a 67.6% increase in the number of workdays lost because of these injuries. The study attributes the increase to the fact that, on average, individuals sleep 40 minutes less when making the switch forward. Findings were based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Mine Safety and Health Administration. To mitigate the effects of this sleep loss, the study recommends:

• Scheduling dangerous work for later in the week, after employees have had a chance to adjust their sleep schedules.
  
  

• Adjusting employees' start times in the days following the phase change. Example: Switch a 12:00 p.m. start time to 1 p.m. on Monday, to 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday, to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, and so on until employees return to their original start time.
  
  

• Scheduling additional supervisors to work that Monday. "Multiple observers may partly offset the fact that on average employees will tend to be less observant of cues indicating impending injuries," said the study.

Keeping Night-Shift Workers Safe

The most at-risk employees are those who work nights or rotating shifts. While such shifts may be unavoidable, your company can protect these employees by adjusting work schedules and the work environment.

Improving schedules: The National In­stitute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) offers these scheduling suggestions in its publication, Plain Talk About Shiftwork.

• Avoid permanent night shift schedules, if possible. According to NIOSH, most workers never really get used to the night shift, because they go back to a daytime schedule on their days off.
  
  

• Keep consecutive night shifts to a minimum. Research suggests that a maximum of only four nights in a row should be worked before a couple of days off. It can be very fatiguing to work, say, 10 to 14 days straight, even if followed by five to seven days off. Older workers may find it more difficult to recover during the breaks before they return to another long stretch of shifts, warned NIOSH.
  
  

• Avoid quick shift changes, i.e., a break of only seven to 10 hours before rotating to a new shift. If rotating from a night shift, a 24-hour minimum break is recommended.
  
  

• Schedule at least one full weekend off per month for those who work seven days a week. Weekends provide the best opportunity to reconnect with family and friends.
  
  

• Keep overtime to a minimum because extra hours exacerbate fatigue.
  
  

• Adjust shift lengths. Assign physically or mentally demanding work to shorter shifts. Also, avoid scheduling heavy, dangerous, or monotonous work to overnight or early morning hours.
  
  

• Permit flexible start and end times. If work hours need to be fixed, consider adjusting them so that employees can tend to personal responsibilities, avoid a rush-hour commute, and the like.
  
  

• Provide more rest breaks, if necessary. Jobs requiring repetitive physical work might require brief periods of rest each hour.
  
  

• Post schedules well in advance, so employees can plan their rest, child care, etc.

Evaluating the environment: Even the best-planned schedules won't, in and of themselves, help shift workers to perform at the top of their game. Employees' working conditions also play a role.

• Make sure work areas are well lit. Brightly colored wall hangings and other accents can also help keep employees alert.
  
  

• Permit employees to listen to music, as long as doing so doesn't compromise safety.
  
  

• Check that the heating and cooling systems are working properly; the hotter it is, the more sluggish employees will be.
  
  

• Only provide decaffeinated beverages and low-sugar snacks. Caffeinated beverages and sugary foods make it that much harder for the employee to fall asleep at the end of their shift.
  
  

• Provide access to hot, nutritious meals. If there is no on-premises cafeteria, provide a microwave for employees to heat meals.
  
  

• Encourage employees to stretch their arms and legs for a few minutes at least once an hour.
  
  

• Allow employees to take a short nap (20-30 minutes). Dedicate a dark, quiet area to napping; outfit it with comfortable reclining chairs or futons.

Compensation catch: If employees are required to be on duty for fewer than 24 hours, time spent sleeping (or engaging in other personal activities) when not busy is compensable under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. If employees are required to be on duty for 24 hours or more, up to eight hours of time spent sleeping can be unpaid if: the company furnishes adequate sleeping facilities, and the em­ployee's sleep is uninterrupted.

Complete Compliance Guide To Federal & State Employment Law makes it easier for you to tackle today's numerous and complicated employment law challenges without having to incur unnecessary legal fees using a lawyer. With this comprehensive resource, you'll be prepared to answer tough legal questions on difficult human resource issues under both federal or state law.

Visit our website to get your copy today.

2. IT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR: EMPLOYEES MISPLACE THEIR W-2s

Around this time of year, employees are filing their taxes and some are realizing that they can't find their W-2 form that you provided to them weeks ago....Continue the story.

3. FREE REPORT: THE 10 MOST COMMON LEGAL MISTAKES MADE BY HUMAN RESOURCES

Read the Free Report, "The 10 Most Common Legal Mistakes Made By Human Resources," which offers tips from a legal expert on how to avoid the pitfalls that lurk in interviewing and hiring practices, wage and hour issues, privacy notices, training, performance appraisals, investigations, record-keeping, communication breakdowns, accommodations, and non-compete agreements. 

4. HR SOAPBOX: BAN THESE BUSINESS BUZZWORDS!

You know it when you hear it.  A term or a phrase so overused in the business world that it's become almost a mockery of itself.  When strung together, the jargon causes the speaker to sound less like a capable businessperson and more like a character in a Saturday Night Live sketch....Continue the story.