Whether you're a human resources professional or a harried manager in another area -- juggling policy and people issues along with the duties of your "real job" -- there's a lot of HR-related information you need to know. If you lack that information, or misunderstand it, you and your organization could end up in a lot of trouble. What you need is an expert you can call upon any time -- and that's what you'll find in this book. In fact, you'll find two experts. One is an attorney with a corporate background who specializes in employment law. The other is a recruiter and former HR manager with strong experience in every aspect of the field.

Written in question-and-answer format, this essential reference book addresses more than 200 areas of concern. It gives you a crash course in all the key areas: employee selection, policies, performance management, training, employee relations and retention, compensation, benefits, major employment laws, termination, and tough stuff such as e-mail monitoring and workplace violence. The next time you need to write a help-wanted ad...orient a new employee...get the facts on The Family and Medical Leave Act...deal with a suspected substance abuser...or conduct an exit interview...you'll be prepared to act. You'll even find a special section of ready-to-use Tools and Templates, including a Job Applicant Flow Log, Sample Health Plan Comparison, and Employment Reference Request. For dependable answers to real HR situations, this is the book you'll rely on. It's free of fads and frills -- and packed with solid guidance you can use and trust.