Archives

Navigating the Dangerous Light-Duty Highway

In yesterday’s Advisor, we looked at tricky issue of interactions between the FMLA, ADA, and workers’ compensation. Today, we cover the delicate question of light-duty work, and we explore a unique FMLA problem-solver. The question of light-duty or alternate work requirements bedevils HR managers faced with complying with three laws at once. Here are tips: […]

Language of Prosperity: Multilingual Employees

By Claudia N. Lombardo It’s hard to believe there was a day when nonnative English-speaking parents disapproved of their children learning any language other than English. Today, many parents embrace foreign languages as a stepping stone to their children’s economic success. That’s because businesses often prosper from employing bilingual and multilingual staff. The Vast Melting […]

Outed Vets Get Benefits for California Domestic Partners

By Jennifer Barrera The Commission on the Status of Women is a state agency founded in 1965 to study issues affecting women and to advise the California Legislature and state agencies on inequities in laws, practices, and conditions that affect women. The commission asked the California attorney general to respond to two inquiries regarding the […]

Outback to Pay $19 Million for Sex Bias

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has announced that Outback Steakhouse has agreed to pay $19 million and furnish significant remedial relief to settle a major class-action lawsuit alleging sex discrimination against thousands of women at hundreds of its corporately owned restaurants nationwide. According to the EEOC, Outback discriminated against female employees with respect to […]

Women’s History Month: March 2010

National Women’s History Month’s roots go back to March 8, 1857, when women from New York City factories staged a protest over working conditions. International Women’s Day was first observed in 1909, but it wasn’t until 1981 that Congress established National Women’s History Week to be commemorated the second week of March. In 1987, Congress […]

Escape from HR’s Bermuda Triangle

There’s little doubt that the most puzzling and frustrating trio in HR is FMLA, ADA, and Workers’ Compensation. In today’s Advisor, we’ll answer key questions about the overlapping of the three laws. What’s the main issue with the workers’ compensation, FMLA, and ADA overlap? If a worker is on leave because of a work-related injury […]

Who Is Your Mentor?

“A trusted counselor or guide.”  That’s Webster’s definition of a mentor. Who do you have in your professional life that you can trust for sound counsel and guidance? It’s critical to your success and, likely, your emotional well-being to have people to whom you can turn when you’re struggling, need advice, or just want some […]

Labor Department Changing Farm Worker Rules

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has published new rules for the H-2A Guest Worker Program that have sparked protest from agricultural employers. The new rules, to go into effect March 15, were published in the February 12 edition of the Federal Register. The final rules govern the labor certification process and enforcement mechanisms for […]