Summer offers a valuable opportunity for colleges and universities to review their HR policies and employee handbooks before hiring cycles intensify and campus operations become more demanding in the fall. Human resources policies shape how institutions handle recruitment, employee conduct, leave, complaints, performance issues, accommodations, and separations. When those policies are outdated, inconsistent, or poorly communicated, legal risk can spread across departments quickly. A summer review helps institutions identify problem areas before they lead to employee conflict or administrative strain.
When your HR office is conducting its summer review, it should consider and engage legal counsel to assess whether current policies and employee handbook language reflect:
Current institutional practice? Over time, HR offices often adapt procedures informally in response to staffing changes, operational demands, or evolving legal considerations. If written policies lag behind those practices, institutions may create confusion about employee rights, managerial discretion, or required process. That gap matters when employment decisions are challenged. Policies should accurately describe how key matters are handled, including complaint reporting, workplace expectations, leave administration, accommodations, and disciplinary procedures. Consistency between what is written and what is done is a basic but essential form of risk management.
State and federal legal developments?...
Jang, in his 40s, who also runs a beauty salon and works as an insurance planner, registered himself as a caregiver for insured A, an insurance customer, in April. Afterwards, Jang filed a documen...