August 2004 

HR MAGAZINE August 2004
Vol. 49, No. 8
Table of Contents

COVER STORY
Franchisors Walk a Fine Line . Recognizing the importance of people practices at franchised companies means more hands-on involvement of HR.
Susan J. Wells

EMPLOYMENT LAW
Religion vs. Sexual Orientation. Protections for religious expression and sexual orientation dont have to be mutually exclusive.
Margaret M. Clark

EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
Office Politics. To ignite employees participation in the political process, employers launch get-out-the-vote programs.
Charlotte Garvey

SPECIAL REPORT: BENEFITS
Decision Time for Retiree Rx Coverage. HR has to gear up now for new decisions on retiree health coverage.
Alison Stein Wellner

Uncovering 401(k) Fees. Questions of who pays what for the companys 401(k) plan are typically HRs to answer.
Mary E. Medland

Responding to Changing Ideas of Family. The decision to add domestic partner benefits can be complicated by state and federal laws.
Roseanne White Geisel

HR AGENDA: AWARDS & INCENTIVES
Meaningful Tokens of Appreciation. Nonmonetary rewards when aligned with business objectivesmay motivate more effectively than cash awards.
Charlotte Garvey

HR AGENDA: EMPLOYMENT & STAFFING
Making Exit Interviews Work. Use data from effective exit interviews to make your organization stronger.
Martha Frase-Blunt

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS

From The President. HR Leadership Is Key to Creating Better Workplaces Susan Meisinger
HR in franchises; re-evaluating core benefits. Adrienne Fox; Terence F. Shea
Interns, Returnees, Bonus Arithmetic. Naomi Cossack, Amy Maingault and Rebecca R. Hastings
Management Tools: The Business Partner Model. Managers partner with other business units and learn more about their organizations and internal clients needs. Paul Falcone
Legal Trends: Conclude and Communicate. Follow these steps when analyzing your data and concluding an investigation about improper workplace conduct. Jathan W. Janove
Future Focus: The Picture of Health HR is not alone in the search for better, more affordable health coverage. Jennifer Schramm
Executive Briefing. Directors welcome new responsibilities; better hiring practices reduce management costs; stock option awards fall out of favor; more.
From Readers. Successful relocations; engaging the right workers.
HR Technology. New casino uses technology to recruit and empower workersand keep customers coming back.
Court Report. Transsexuals discrimination claim allowed; labor neutrality law pre-empted; expression of interest amounts to application.
Books in Brief The Relationship Edge in Business; more.
What's New Interview preparation software; employee survey assistance; more.

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