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H-1B visa season is upon us

by Elaine Young It’s that time of year again, when employers that want to hire recent college graduates and other professionals begin to file H-1B visa petitions. The first possible start date for most H-1B employees is the first day of the federal fiscal year, October 1. Because U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) accepts […]

Train Employees on Workplace Security

The material in today’s Advisor is adapted from “Workplace Security for Employees,” which is one of dozens of courses in the HR Employment Library of BLR’s TrainingToday®. Here’s an exercise you can use during training to test retention of your security information. The objective of the exercise is to review security policy and procedures. Workplace […]

‘Thinking About Retirement?’—Danger or Diligence?

Can You Ask About Retirement Plans? Can you ask older employees about their retirement plans? Yes, if you are careful, says BLR® Senior Legal Editor Joan Farrell. But push too hard and it starts to look like age discrimination. If an employer has a legitimate reason, like workforce planning or succession planning, it’s not a […]

‘Thinking About Retirement?’—Danger or Diligence?

Can You Ask About Retirement Plans? Can you ask older employees about their retirement plans? Yes, if you are careful, says BLR® Senior Legal Editor Joan Farrell. But push too hard and it starts to look like age discrimination. If an employer has a legitimate reason, like workforce planning or succession planning, it’s not a […]

I believe you have my stapler

Ever flip through the channels on a lazy Saturday afternoon and come across an oldie but goodie? This happened to me recently with the movie Office Space, a workplace classic. While I can’t imagine a world where everyone hasn’t seen Office Space, here is a quick plot summary. Peter Gibbons (played by Ron Livingston, pictured […]

And the award for employee excellence goes to . . .

by Dan Oswald If you, like me, were one of the tens of millions of people who watched the Academy Awards Sunday night, you saw a celebration of excellence in a profession. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was founded in 1927. And, according to its website, “one of the first Academy committees […]

Do Your Employees Know How to Keep the Workplace Secure?

Workplace security is a critical concern for employers nationwide. Crimes against businesses are increasing. Companies like yours must be concerned about theft of equipment, inventory, trade secrets, computer information, and money. You also must take steps to prevent other security risks such as arson, vandalism, and workplace violence. Workplace crime not only affects the company […]

Can You Terminate Those with the Highest Salaries?

While salary level may be a legitimate factor in determining which employees to lay off, it cannot be the determining factor if it adversely affects older workers, says Tinnin, who is a partner with Tinnin Law Firm in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and editor of New Mexico Employment Law Letter. In 2005, he adds, the U.S. […]