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American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month

American Indians and Alaska Natives is one of the six major race categories. Each November, the United States celebrates American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. Here are some facts from the U.S. Census Bureau on the group: As of the 2010 Census, the population of American Indians and Alaska Natives in the United States […]

Workers’ Compensation Mental Stress Claims May Be Expanded

By Bill Duvall Employers in Canada have taken comfort from the fact that most provincial workers’ compensation agencies provide benefits for workplace mental stress only in very limited circumstances. But that comfort may be threatened, at least in British Columbia. Earlier this month, the B.C. government introduced legislation that, if passed, will expand workers’ compensation […]

Wage/Hour—Good News (Courts Losing Patience), Bad News (No One’s in Compliance)

There’s good news (sort of) and bad news for employers in the outlook for 2012, say attorneys from theEmployers Counsel Network. They covered new developments in wage/hour compliance during a presentation at BLR’s Advanced Employment Issues Symposium, held recently in Nashville and Las Vegas. Wage and Hour—‘No One Is in Compliance’ No one is in […]

Social Media: SHRM Reports How More Employers Are Plugging in

Nearly 70 percent of organizations are using social media to reach external audiences and build relationships with current and potential customers, and/or potential employees, with Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter being the top three sites used, according to a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). This survey is part three in a series […]

Staffing Agency Forced to Pay $30K After Refusing to Provide Alternative Drug Testing Method to Disabled Applicant

An Irving, Texas-based staffing company will pay $30,000 and furnish other relief to resolve a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today. The EEOC sued G2 Secure Staff, LLC in September 2011, charging that the company unlawfully refused to accommodate a disabled applicant who needed an […]

Funny Business

Litigation Value: minimum $300,000 if Dwight is retained. Once again, Dwight Schrute illustrates well what it means to “cross the line” while at work. He even raised the bar on inappropriate behavior at the Scranton branch, a feat we heretofore believed impossible. For those of you who missed this week’s episode, I’ll briefly describe. Pam […]

3 Leadership Lessons from Penn State Debacle

If you’re anything like me, you’re sick of hearing about the whole Jerry Sandusky/Penn State sex abuse case. Sick of it, first and foremost, because the thought of what Sandusky allegedly did to those young boys, and the evidence appears overwhelming, is enough to make you physically ill. And sick of it because the 24-hour […]

Survey Shows What Employers Are Doing to Reduce Health Care Costs

Eighty-four percent of responding companies reported taking at least one action to reduce healthcare costs in the prior year, and two-thirds plan further cost control in the coming year. The most popular cost control steps include: Raising employees’ portion of healthcare premiums Raising employees’ copayments and deductibles Offering health savings accounts (HSAs) and/or health reimbursement […]

Travel Pay Rules in California: Not Always Clear-Cut

If an employee injures third parties while working, you as the employer can be held liable for those injuries. Normally, an employee’s regular commute to and from work is not considered to be “working” time, so employers aren’t responsible for accidents that happen then.

The Single Most Common—and Potentially Costly—Mistake Employers Make

By Stephen D. Bruce, PHR Editor, HR Daily Advisor What’s the most costly mistake manages and supervisors make? We found out at BLR’s Advanced Employment Issues Symposium (AEIS), where three top employment law attorneys took on the toughest questions of the appreciative audience. Participating panelists, all members of the Employers Counsel Network, were Molly DiBianca […]