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Do You Really Put Your Back Into Safety Training?

Why do your employees need to be trained in back safety? One in five U.S. workers suffers a back injury on the job. Back injuries are the second most common cause of days away from work, next to the common cold. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were nearly 200,000 reported back injuries […]

No nonsense

Litigation Value:  Office romance with the new Regional Manager (and A.A.R.M.) = fodder for a potential sexual harassment claim; eliminating nonsense from the workplace = every human resources manager’s dream; Dwight giving up a milk maid to marry his long-time love and father his beet-loving offspring = priceless. As John Krasinski explained in a recent […]

Vermont governor to sign equal pay bill into law on Tuesday

by Sophie E. Zdatny House Bill 99, titled “an act relating to equal pay,” has cleared both chambers of the Vermont Legislature and is set to be signed into law by Governor Peter Shumlin on Tuesday, May 14. The final bill amends Vermont’s Fair Employment Practices Act to provide that an employer may pay different […]

Mood problem or mental disorder? When can employers discipline?

By Kyla Stott-Jess Employers in Canada can’t discriminate against employees based on mental disabilities. But the broad interpretation that courts and arbitration boards frequently apply to human rights laws often makes it difficult to know where the boundaries of “mental disability” lie. In a recent arbitration decision in Ontario, Windsor (City) and WPFFA (Elliot), the […]

Use the Reverse Robin Hood Technique for Top Performers

Rob from the poor and give to the rich, says consultant Joseph DiMisa. That’s how to use limited compensation dollars to give real rewards to top performers. bigger rewards to your top performers, says DiMisa. Rewarding performance is the first of his incentive design challenges for 2013. DiMisa, who is senior vice president, Sales Force […]

Decision Adds Weight to Presumption of Prudence for Retirement Plan Sponsors

A recent appeals court ruling may increase plan sponsors’ confidence about including and holding company stock in their retirement plans — especially those in the financial services industry. In White v. Marshall & Ilsley No. 11-2660, (7th Cir., April 19, 2013), the presumption-of-prudence defense again was upheld when retirement-plan participant plaintiffs appealed a 2011 district-court ruling, […]

In ADA Cases, Courts Defer to Employers on Essential Functions

The Americans with Disabilities Act’s employment protections only extend to individuals with disabilities who can perform the essential functions of their jobs. And when it comes to deciding which functions are “essential,” courts continue to defer to employers’ judgment. In Knutson v. Schwan’s Home Service, Inc., No. 12-2240, (April 3, 2013), the U.S. 8th Circuit […]

EEOC Urged to Align Wellness Standards With HIPAA/ACA Rules

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s failure thus far to issue clear guidance on permissible wellness incentives threatens to undermine employers’ development of wellness programs at a time when their importance is growing, business groups warned the EEOC at a May 8 hearing. “We urge you to recognize the comprehensive regulatory framework that already exists” […]