Employers should not distribute any medications, even over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, directly to employees. Most of us know that over-the-counter medications also have health risks and side effects that can be serious or even fatal. What if the amount of OTC medication you provided (or suggested) to an employee was the wrong dosage for them? What if the medication you handed the employee causes drowsiness resulting in a workplace accident? What if they get in a car accident on their drive home? Employers should not take on the risks and liabilities of managing employees’ medical conditions.
Another option is for employers to actually add one or two basic OTC medications to the first-aid kit supplies available to employees. Many resources - HR Prescriptions included - advise against this option because of concerns of overuse, improper use and pilfering of these supplies. Your organization should proceed only after consultation with legal counsel and management. If your company chooses to include OTC medications in a first-aid kit, it is imperative that you provide only single-dose packages that are properly labeled as regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, including a tamper-evident package. Do not purchase any product that contains ingredients that are known to cause drowsiness. With proper labeling, employees are then able to self-select if available OTC medications are right for them.
The USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) announced that E-Verify is available for federal contractors as of September 8, 2009. The rule was originally scheduled to become effective on January 15, 2009 but had been delayed several times.
E-Verify is a free internet-based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA). It allows employers to verify the employment eligibility of newly hired employees. E-Verify is the result of Executive Order 13465 by President George W. Bush in June 2008 requiring federal contractors to use the system to verify the work eligibility of:
- all persons hired during the contract term by the contractor to perform employment duties within the United States, and
- all persons assigned by the contractor to perform work within the United States on the federal contract.
The rule requires federal contractors to use E-Verify to check the employment eligibility of all employees hired after the receipt of a federal government contract. The rule also requires contractors to re-verify the employment eligibility of current employees assigned to perform work on the contract, which is different from the former program which only allowed employers to verify the eligibility of newly hired employees.
We’re proud to have Trading Places International® as our “Charter Client” and our friends. RJ Jackson, President, and his wife Barbara (HR Director at the time) were the first to put their confidence and faith in HR Prescriptions almost 10 years ago. Other owners Michael Kizerian and Marcus Wood have also been instrumental in the success of this thriving business.
As a privately owned California corporation, TPI provides a full spectrum of vacation services to vacation interval owners, resort associations, and resort developers. The company specializes in resort management, vacation exchange, rentals, owner resales, reservation services, golf, and traditional travel. With 226 employees in 10 States, their HR Manager, Candice Serrano, is very busy and keeps us hopping to address a variety of needs (and great material if we ever write a book!).
Their website offers numerous “Hot Deals” that are REAL travel bargains! Please consider Trading Places International when seeking your next vacation. You can find all kinds of travel ideas at http://www.tradingplaces.com.
For those of you who enjoyed last month’s “tips” to post in the men’s restroom, you’ve told us you were waiting for the women’s tips. As women, we decided we could write our own!
- Please flush until all remains of your “visit” are gone.
- Tampons are designed to absorb moisture - that’s why the package says “Do not flush.”
- Be a sweetie and wipe the seatie. (I mean, really, how does this happen?)
- Please complete all cell phone calls before entering the restroom.
- Wash your hands after using the facilities.
- Paper towels should be dispensed in the trash can, not the floor.
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