- M. Lee Smith Publishers

<font size="1">Excerpted from South Carolina Employment Law Letter and written by an attorney at the law firm of McNair Law Firm, P.A. </font><br /><br />The following are five important topics to help you do strategic planning to improve your company's HR functions and put those plans into action.<br /><strong><br />Planning to succeed </strong><br />The essence of strategic planning for any organization is (1) the identification of desired goals and objectives and (2) the creation of a specific plan designed to help the organization realize those goals and objectives.<br /><br />Ideally, and especially with respect to HR planning, the process is a continuous one that not only reflects the various priorities of your organization and its management but also demonstrates measurable progress toward the implementation of the organization's plan. <br /><br />As managers and other individuals responsible for the HR function of their organizations begin strategic planning, it's easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer number of HR-related issues that require careful attention, thoughtful discussion, and purposeful action. Nevertheless, prudent employers may want to add the following five topics to their organization's HR strategic planning agenda. <br /><br /><strong>1: EPLI </strong><br />Recent statistics have suggested that while more than one-third of all private companies had one or more discrimination charges or employment-related lawsuits filed against them between 2000 and 2005, fewer than 50 percent of private companies maintain Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI).<br /><br />For smaller companies, a single prolonged employment litigation battle can be financially devastating. Accordingly, a number of questions immediately come to mind. Does having EPLI make sound business sense for your organization? What are the pros and cons of the coverage routinely available in the industry? Finally, why do many companies feel apprehensive about or fail to secure EPLI coverage? <br /><br /><strong>2: Creating document- and data-retention policies and litigation hold procedures </strong><br />December 2006 brought significant amendments to Rule 26 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which is the rule that defines the scope of discovery in civil litigation. With the changes, companies face increasingly difficult and expensive challenges to identify, preserve, protect, and disclose electronic data such as e-mail when faced with a litigation claim or even a potential claim.<br /><br />In the alternative, organizations that have ignored or neglected those challenges have been subjected to severe penalties, monetary sanctions, and other adverse consequences. Are your organization's "e-discovery" policies and procedures securely in place? Do your policies address the practical challenges of discovery in the course of civil litigation? Of equal importance, have your policies and procedures been effectively communicated across your organization? <br /><strong><br />3: Reviewing and updating written job descriptions </strong><br />Employers no longercan afford to regard detailed, accurate written job descriptions as an item for the "back burner" or a well-intentioned project for "when things slow down." Job descriptions, when properly researched, drafted, implemented, and updated, not only can supply HR professionals with effective criteria for hiring decisions and employee performance evaluation but also may provide employers with helpful evidence in the event of litigation. <br /><br />The question is simple: Are your written job descriptions accurate and up to date? <br /><br /><strong>4: Formulating a comprehensive training plan for managers and supervisors </strong><br />Lawyers who represent employers repeatedly tout the need for organizations to train their managers and supervisors in a number of HR-related issues. The strategically minded employer will take that practical advice one step further and seek to devise and implement an ongoing practical curriculum that focuses on training supervisors in HR policy and practice.<br />When is the last time your organization provided relevant training for those charged with its management? What are the benefits and impediments to doing so? Does the cost of such a training program truly provide an adequate return on investment? <br /><strong><br />5: Maintaining a sustained emphasis on workplace safety </strong><br />Debate regarding workers' compensation and associated workplace safety issues continues to gain the interest and understandable concern of employers. Not long ago, an executive of a major manufacturing company confided that workers' comp premiums and claims were, without question, his most pressing employment-related issue and a seemingly endless drain on his bottom line.<br /><br />Can an organization effectively take measures to reduce the costs associated with workers' comp claims and workplace safety challenges? Do those measures provide the desired results  namely, fewer claims and lower costs? <br /><strong><br />Looking ahead </strong><br />If the most important factor affecting the viability of an organization is the people who are the very embodiment of the organization, meaningful strategic HR planning must become an organizationwide priority to address the myriad issues associated with any workforce, regardless of its size. As HR professionals are uniquely aware, the topics and issues identified in this article are only the tip of the iceberg. <br /><br /><br /><font size="1"><br />Copyright 2007 M. Lee Smith Publishers LLC. This article is an excerpt from SOUTH CAROLINA EMPLOYMENT LAW LETTER. SOUTH CAROLINA EMPLOYMENT LAW LETTER is not intended to provide legal advice, which can be given only after consideration of the facts of a specific situation. </font><br />