Alum-Titan has several human resources issues that need to be addressed including a lack of policies and procedures, sexual harassment training, performance reviews, and recruiting best practices. Implementing solutions such as creating an employee handbook, conducting trainings, instituting a formal performance review process, and establishing consistent recruiting practices will help eliminate risks, retain top talent, and support learning opportunities for staff.

1. Alum-Titan Case Study
Bety Grazier Goals
Lena Adanalian
•Eliminate the risk and damage of employment
Janet Mok
Celina Serrano litigation
Stefanie Strobel •Hire and retain top employees.
Nick Hernandez •Offer competitive benefits
Danny Alonzo •Support and encourage on-going learning
Brian Dahl opportunities for staff.

2. Legal Sexual Harassment
Sexual Problem: Alum-Titan has a Vice President of
Harassment Manufacturing who is having an affair with his
Assistant
Section 2 Solution: Hire a trainer to conduct Sexual
Harassment Training. Ensure that everyone signs an
acknowledgement of the completion of the course.

3. Legal Expired work permits
Sexual Problem: You did find one I-9 which contained an
Harassment expired work permit
Expired work Solution: Audit all employees to verify legal work
Section 2
permits status and keep track of when work permits are set
to expire so they can be renewed before the
expiration date

4. Legal Cobra
Sexual Problem: COBRA paperwork given to terminated
Harassment employees contingent upon return of their
uniforms
Expired work
Section 2
permits Solution: Companies are required to provide the
COBRA paperwork, regardless of whether other
Cobra
company-specific conditions are met. Employers
must notify plan administrators of a qualifying
event within 30 days after an employee's death,
termination, reduced hours of employment or
entitlement to Medicare.

5. Legal Handbook is out of date
Sexual Problem: There is an Employee Handbook dated
Harassment December 1996 which functions as both a
handbook and a policy manual. Changes in policy
Expired work are communicated verbally and through written
Section 2
permits memoranda.
Cobra
Solution: company should create a policies and
procedures document that is separate from the
employee handbook that includes the following:
Handbook unlawful harassment complaints policy,
discrimination complaints policy, alcohol & drug use
policy, and dress code

6. Legal Personnel Files
Problem: Personnel files for former employees are
Sexual on file back to 1975.
Harassment
Solution: A separate employee file should be
Expired work accessible to only designated individuals in the
Section 2
permits
human resources department Under the Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
Cobra (HIPAA), it is imperative that all medical
documentation be maintained by the benefits
section. Documentation related to health issues
Handbook should be kept for five years after employee
termination. As personnel files are used to make
personnel decisions (who to promote, lay off, fire,
Personnel Files etc.), it’s presumed that managers and supervisors
have access to those files. Medical information,
background investigation reports, I-9s should have
separate files to avoid any appearance of
discrimination when making those decisions. Also,
information that could be used for identity theft
should be limited.

7. Performance Management Affair results in promotion
Problem: VP of Manufacturing had an affair with his
assistant, resulting in her promotion to Analyst to the VP
Promotion of Quality Control
Solution: Institute a formal annual performance review
Section 2 system, with training beforehand for managers on how to
complete a performance appraisal; including keeping logs
of good/bad performance examples. Informal reviews
should be done at least quarterly, but preferably a
monthly one-on-one meeting between
supervisor/employee. At the Analyst’s first performance
review, determine if she is capable of doing her current
job, if she is qualified to do the job, etc. If so, no problem
in letting her remain there. If not, she must be demoted
or transferred to a job she is qualified for, based upon her
performance (not with whom she is sleeping)! Her
previous supervisor must be re-trained on Sexual
Harassment.

8. Performance Management Appraisals
Problem: Lack of Performance Appraisals after 90
Promotion
days ; “Promotions at Manager Discretion”
Lack of Solution: Implement an annual review process that
performance 2
Section
appraisals includes MBO, Graphic Rating scales, 360 Feedback.
360 Feedback gives the employee a more thorough
understanding of their impact on people they
interact with every day. It also fosters teamwork
and trust. MBO encourages employees to work
effectively toward reaching desired goals.

9. Benefits President and top 6 reports benefits
President’s Problem: The President and the six top reports also
benefits receive a company paid $200,000 life insurance
policy which is not outlined in the Employee
Handbook.
Section 2
Solution: The President and the six top reports
insurance policy plan should be outlined in the
Employee handbook so that other employees are
aware. It should state that any candidates in a
President and the roles his six direct reports get
(now and incoming candidates in this position) will
have this benefit so that other employees do not
feel there is preferential treatment

10. Coaching No formal coaching or developmental program
Problem: There has been no formal training
Coaching
program at Alum-Titan. All management is
attending this program which deals with
communication, conflict management, performance
Section 2 contracting, etc. There are no plans to extend these
sessions to the first line supervisor level.
Solution: Hire contractors to provide specialized
training courses. Teach managers to coach their
staff. Provide bi-lingual trainers when necessary.
Coaching opportunities include: mentor program,
job rotation, ongoing, instant coaching and
feedback

11. Compensation Pay scales
Problem: Pay scales changed annually, most often
Pay scales
to adjust top rates to accommodate employees who
progress to that level.
Section 2 Solution: Pay scales should be reviewed annually to
determine placement in the market salary range.
Salary inquiries should be made online (cheap and
easy) and by the old-fashioned telephone call to
similar companies. Most HR professionals are
happy to share information, as they get feedback
from their counterparts in the process.

12. Compensation Top Range Salaries
Problem: Several employees paid above the top of the
Pay Scales
range.
Top Range Solution: Top rates should not be adjusted to
Section 2
Salaries accommodate employees at the top of the range if the
range is determined to match the market. Wages
should be frozen until the market “catches up.” Other
benefits may be given, such as flex time, executive
leave, bonuses, etc., although these should be
distributed fairly amongst similar job titles.

13. Compensation Annual Increases
Problem: Most employees have received annual
Pay Scales
increases of 3-4% for the past 3 years
Top Range Solution: Employees will begin feeling entitlement
Section 2
Salaries to 3-4% percent annually, regardless of
performance. Increases should be awarded based
Annual upon the total package of job performance,
Increases certifications held, specific duties performed,
tenure, etc.

14. Training OSHA Violation
OSHA Problem: A serious injury accident in the plant has
Violation recently occurred and several safety violations were
found in a subsequent OSHA inspection. One of the
violations was that the company didn’t have an IIPP or
Section 2 a Hazardous Material Training program.
Solution: Ensure at minimum mandatory:
Sexual Harassment Training
Workplace Violence Training
IIPP or a Hazardous Material Training program
Training on completion of Performance Appraisals
for Managers/Supervisors
Use tools to make mandatory training less
onerous (lunch provided, offsite somewhere
“fun”, etc.).

15. Training Orientation
OSHA Problem: No formal orientation for new hires
Violation
Solution: Create New Hire Training Program. Include
information about the company, goals, mission,
Orientation 2
Section policies and procedures, and a mentor program.

16. Training Orientation
OSHA Problem: No formal orientation for new hires
Violation
Solution: Create New Hire Training Program. Include
information about the company, goals, mission,
Orientation 2
Section policies and procedures, and a mentor program.

17. Recruitment Background Checks
Background Problem: There is no reference checking or drug
Checks testing other than for professionals where industry
contacts are often utilized.
Section 2 Solution: All candidates that will get an offer need
to provide three references of people they have
worked with in the past to be contacted by HR and
need to go through background checks (criminal,
credit*, education verification). Drug test process
must be required from every person on staff.

18. Recruitment Employee Applications
Background Problem: There are no applications or records of the
Checks searches done by West Search other than the two
resumes for the new employees.
Employee
Applications 2
Section Solution: Alum-Titan should have a consistent hiring
process for all candidates that come in for an interview.
Regardless of whether they are referred by other
employees, advertisement, or job boards, if they are
interviewed by Alum-Titan, they need to fill out a job
application and have it attached to their resume. HR
needs to keep records of all applicants that apply to
the company for up to 1 year for EEOC purposes (2 yrs
recommended); employees that are hired should have
their application materials kept for the term of their
employment plus 1 year (or 2 recommended).

19. Recruitment Interviews
Background Problem: Interviews for all candidates are
Checks conducted by hiring supervisors or managers who
make the final decision
Employee
Applications 2
Section Solution: Alum-Titan should assemble a hiring team
to interview potential candidates for their
Interviews
department. Hiring team will be able to decide if
there is a culture fit. It also saves the company
money by avoiding bad hires. The panel should
include an HR staffer to ensure questions asked of
applicants are legal. Panel can also include the
hiring manager, but must also include others to
avoid nepotism or hiring of friends who may not
actually be qualified.

20. Recruitment Job Descriptions
Background
Problem: Lack of job descriptions except for Inside Sales
Checks Manager’s 5 employees
Solution: Revise job descriptions. Create new descriptions.
Employee
Ensure salary grades are appropriate. Job descriptions are
Applications 2
Section
necessary for hiring, determining market salary ranges for
each job, and for letting employees know what is
Interviews expected. In addition to generic job descriptions, each
position should have a description as well, since a clerk-
typist in Manufacturing and one in Sales may have entirely
different duties. Position descriptions should be reviewed
Job Descriptions
annually with the employee at the time of performance
appraisal to include any new duties and to remove duties
no longer performed. This is necessary to determine if the
employee is in the correct salary range.

21. Alum-Titan Case Study
Bety Grazier Benefits
Lena Adanalian
•Controller’s time kept free to focus on clients as
Janet Mok
Celina Serrano policies & procedures are put in place
Stefanie Strobel •Fines and fees for violations reduced or
Nick Hernandez eliminated
Danny Alonzo •A team with the right skills to deliver the service
Brian Dahl

22. Questions?