Cozen O'Connor

Minnesota Human Resources Library

In-depth HR guides to Minnesota and federal employment law, delivered in one soft-cover book and online with form and policy templates. Includes what to do and how to do it for everything from pre-hire through post-termination. These publications are prepared exclusively for Minnesota employers and made available in a continuing effort to provide reliable and practical information for our members and the Minnesota business community.

Your subscription includes:

Hardcopy Manuals: Because sometimes it just feels better to hold a book in your hands, and flip right to the page you need
Digital HR Library: Regularly updated so that you will always have the latest policies at your fingertips
HRUpdate: weekly e-newsletter highlighting the top HR trends and best practices
SHRM and HRCI certified webinars: free monthly access – $120 value – each webinar is worth 1 SHRM credit and 1 HRCI credit
Customer Service: if you still can't find the answer you're looking for, our friendly customer service representatives can point you in the right direction.

The Minnesota Human Resources Manual will help you to become an expert in:

Understanding state and federal specific compliance thresholds
Anticipating and being prepared for an HR Audit with our Self-HR-Audit
Managing the recruiting and hiring process lawfully
Understanding NDAs, intellectual property and trade secret law
Managing employee relationships
Conducting workplace investigations
Avoiding costly non compliance penalties on both the state and federal level
Filing personnel and medical records
Filing applications and other non-medical records
Knowing what questions you can and can't ask
Understanding sensitive topics and questions
Confidently writing a harassment policy
Legally performing drug and alcohol tests
Handling workplace violence before, during, or after it happens
Reinstating a veteran after military leave
Creating and managing email, Internet and other communications policy
Obtaining authorization from employees before generating consumer reports

Temporary and leased employees

Workplace harassment

Telecommuting

Personnel files

Health insurance reform

Pandemic outbreaks

Families First Coronavirus Response Act

Health insurance continuation coverage

Compliance thresholds

Features of the HR Library

Snapshot An HR audit

Recruiting and hiring

Background checks

Independent contractors

Restrictive covenants and trade secrets

Policies and procedures manuals

Wages and hours

Child labor

Discrimination

Disabilities and reasonable accommodation

Family and medical leave

Military leave

Performance evaluations

Workplace investigations

Discipline

Termination

Plant closings and mass layoffs

Benefits

Health insurance portability and privacy

Safety and health

Workers compensation

Politics in the workplace

Federal contractors and affirmative action

Appendix A Recordkeeping requirements

Appendix B Posting Requirements

Unemployment insurance

Privacy and technology

Immigration

Social media

Disaster planning

About the Authors

About the Firm

Telecommuting agreement

Telecommuting checklist

Telecommuting policy

Communicable Diseases Policy

Shutdown Policy

Stay Home From Work Poster

Wash Your Hands Poster

FFCRA Leave Policy

FFCRA Poster

FFCRA Request for Leave of Absence (FMLA)

FFCRA Request for Leave of Absence (Non-FMLA)

COBRA Continuation Coverage Election Form

Model COBRA Continuation Coverage Election Notice

Model COBRA Continuation Coverage General Notice

Application for At-Will Employment (Option 1)

Application for At-Will Employment (Option 2)

Application for At-Will Employment (Option 3)

Application for At-Will Employment (Option 4)

Form W-4 (2020)

Interview Checklist

Interviewer Evaluation

Interviewing Form

Job Description Form

Offer Letter

A Summary of Your Rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)

Employment Reference

Fair Credit Reporting Act - Certification of Compliance

Fair Credit Reporting Act - Employee Disclosure and Authorization

Fair Credit Reporting Act - Job Applicant Disclosure and Authorization

Fair Credit Reporting Act - Notice of Adverse Action

Fair Credit Reporting Act - Notice of Intent to Take Adverse Action

Reference Inquiry

Reference Release Form

Acknowledgment of Receipt of Handbook

Anti-Harassment Policy

Attendance and Punctuality Policy

Confidentiality Policy

Employee Classification Policy

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

Family and Medical Leave Act Policy

Introduction to Handbook

Jury Duty Policy

Personal Conduct Policy

Vacation Pay Policy

Voting Leave Policy

Sample Salary Basis Policy

WH-380-E Certification of Health Care Provider for Employee's Serious Health Condition

WH-380-F Certification of Health Care Provider for Family Member's Serious Health Condition

WH-381 Notice of Eligibility and Rights & Responsibilities

WH-382 Designation Notice

WH-384 Certification of Qualifying Exigency

WH-385 Certification for Serious Injury or Illness of a Current Servicemember

WH-385-V Certification for Serious Injury or Illness of a Veteran

Exempt Performance Appraisal

Performance Appraisal

Performance Appraisal Summary

Performance Improvement Plan

Discipline Documentation Form

Progressive Discipline Policy

Employee Exit Checklist

Employee Exit Interview (Option 1)

Employee Exit Interview (Option 2)

Separation Summary

Termination Policy

Certificate of Group Health Plan Coverage

Sample Notice of Special Enrollment Rights

Statement of HIPAA Portability Rights

Form I-9 (2020)

Form I-9 Instructions (2020)

For more than 25 years, ACCR has worked with State Chambers of Commerce and Associations of Business and Industry across the country. Our goal is to provide employers and HR professionals with the resources they need to stay in compliance with the rapidly changing world of employment laws and regulations. Our manuals tell you:

what to do
how to do it
and a little bit of why.

No legalese, no endless strings of case citations…our guidebooks simply get you the answers you need, so that you can get back to business.

If seeing is believing, come explore our Publications section and READ A CHAPTER from a book written specifically for your state.

OUR HISTORY

In the early 1980’s, Dick Apland, the godfather of ACCR, worked for the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. He found the Chamber struggling as they attempted to sustain themselves on member dues alone. He then came up with a few ideas for non-dues programs – which today we call the affinity programs.

After offering programs like deals on rental cars, seminars, insurance, and human resources books, the Illinois Chamber started to see their revenue increase, which further financed the ways they could support their members. Other Chambers saw the growing success of the Illinois Chamber and its member’s businesses and Dick Apland became the Johnny Appleseed of non-dues income, spreading the word by visiting Chambers across the country and showing them how he’d planted success with the affinity programs.

These programs wouldn’t run themselves and many Chambers found they didn’t have the manpower to implement and market the programs. So Dick started a company, Apland + Associates, that made the affinity programs available on a turn-key basis. Now the Chambers could still provide access to money-saving programs without having to add any staff.

Dick also saw the need for adding new staff. Within a few years, he would have a family-run business, as his two sons, Brad and Scott, and two daughters, Kari and Kelly, joined the team. Although the affinity programs were up and running well, they soon discovered that their best asset was the plain-English library of human resources books.

In 1999, Dick turned the company over to his two sons. By that time, they had worked with more than 40 of the State Chambers/Associations. This achievement drew the attention of HR Comply and the business was purchased in January of 2000.

Then, in 2004, the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce contacted Brad and Scott, asking them to help with the Chamber’s human resources publishing operation. The wheels were oiled and American Chamber of Commerce Resources was started. Two years later, Brad and Scott weren’t the only two employees – they quickly grew to support more than 15 employees, and the company continues to expand.

After more than 25 years, ACCR maintains Dick Apland’s goal to assist Chambers of Commerce, employers, and human resources professionals across the country. With the constantly evolving landscape of labor and employment law, our books have taken top priority as we continue to help employers and HR professionals stay in compliance with laws and regulations. To this day, there remains no other company that serves Chamber of Commerces in their search for non-dues revenue programs like ACCR.

Cozen O'Connor

A first generation firm established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor is a nationally recognized law firm with approximately 750 attorneys in 29 offices in the U.S., U.K., and Canada. Ranked among the top law firms in the United States, Cozen O’Connor has gained a national reputation for quality representation of clients in business and litigation matters. Our attorneys handle the most challenging matters for a diverse roster of clients that spans virtually every industry. In an industry built on talk, Cozen O’Connor has made its name by doing. With the resources of a large law firm and the vigor of a first-generation business, Cozen O’Connor has become a recognized leader in the legal industry, with an excellent reputation for trial advocacy and a flourishing litigation practice. With more attorneys in the American College of Trial Lawyers than any other similarly sized firm, we can boast litigators who are distinguished among their peers, both for their trial advocacy skills and for their aggressive and innovative representation of clients in areas such as labor & employment, securities & financial services litigation, aviation, construction law, subrogation, coverage, trade secrets, white collar & complex criminal defense, and products liability. Our wide range of experience means that clients turn to us to succeed in high-stakes business matters. We are proud to boast an international roster of business clients who rely upon our guidance in the most complex areas of business law. Though Cozen O’Connor has grown drastically over the last few decades, our full-service approach to the law will never change. We have the attorneys, the offices and the knowledge to offer our clients counseling, advice and trial advocacy across a broad range of practices. Mission and Core Values Built on a foundation of uncompromising effort, integrity and work product, Cozen O’Connor embraces a culture that is entrepreneurial in spirit, cohesive in operation, and familial at heart. We continually reinforce our reputation for excellent service through the effective representation of our clients, providing an enriching and rewarding work environment for our employees, and an unyielding commitment to our profession and our community. By embodying and inspiring our core values of integrity, excellence, teamwork, community service, and collegiality, we are certain to ensure Cozen O’Connor’s continued success and growth. To learn more about the firm, visit Cozen.com.

hrsimple.com is a must-have not only for HR professionals in the state, but for labor and employee relations professionals, employment lawyers and small business owners. It is comprehensive in scope, addressing the many legal and compliance issues that face employers from recruiting to retirement. Yet, despite the wide range of issues covered, and the complexity of those issues, information is easy to find and comprehend, avoiding much of the legal-speak that can often be difficult to interpret.
— John A. Challenger, Chief Executive Officer, Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., Chicago, Illinois

I have been in Human Resources for over 30 years. "Performance Management Strategies: Finding Common G.R.O.U.N.D." was one of the best presented, arranged, and informative webinars I have ever participated in. I wish my whole crew of supervisors and managers could have participated in it. However, with the information I received and the way it was laid out, I hope that I will be able to mock the presentation for them. You and Jamie did an excellent job in presenting this in a clear, distinctive way that was interesting and was never boring.
— Dena Smith, Heartland EMS, Inc.

Contact Us

Whether you have questions or you would just like to say hello, contact us.

Phone

(866) 439-2227

Email

info@hrsimple.com

Location

5 S. Wabash, Suite 1405A, Chicago

(866) 439-2227

info@hrsimple.com