Hot legal topics: three issues that put your feet to the fire

Workforce, Oct, 2002

HR's charge is a wide-ranging one. Find great employees. Pay them well (but not too well). Build a competitive benefits package. Instill loyalty and esprit de corps. Oh, and above all, make sure the company doesn't get sued.

It's that last imperative that really keeps HR on the alert. The workplace is rife with opportunities for lawsuits, and it's the wise HR person who knows her landmark cases, from Lochner v. New York to Faragher v. City of Boca Raton.

Here are stories on three hot current HR issues: workplace violence and the lawsuits that stem from it; the emerging controversy over the point at which 401(k) education becomes advice; and the pitfalls of hiring temporary workers. We invite you to learn more about these seminal issues, and, as always, welcome your feedback.