Category: HR Management & Compliance

There are dozens of details to take care of in the day-to-day operation of your department and your company. We give you case studies, news updates, best practices and training tips that keep your organization fully in compliance with ever-changing employment law, and you fully aware of emerging HR trends.

Discrimination: Measure Would Eliminate EEO Suit Damages Caps

A new measure introduced in the U.S. Senate would remove existing caps on compensatory and punitive damages an individual can recover in an employment discrimination lawsuit. The new legislation, titled the Equal Remedies Act of 2007 and authored by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., is aimed at eliminating damages caps that were implemented a decade and […]

The Salvation Army … Discriminatory? Say It Isn’t So!

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady Yes, Virginia (well, Massachusetts in this case), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) says that the red kettle brigade is guilty of violating Title VII. The Issue: Speaking English-Only.  Few organizations have the moral stature of the Salvation Army, yet the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently sued […]

Workplace Dress Code Policies: What Issues Must They Address?

There’s nothing casual about drafting a dress code policy. An August 22 BLR audio conference will tell you how to create one that’s both legal and workable. More than a decade ago, business began to implement the dress code policy of “Casual Friday.” Employers back then felt that loosening the rigid standards of past years […]

A Piercing Question: How Far Should Dress Codes Go?

With up to half of younger employees now sporting tattoos, piercings, and other “body art,” how far should employers’ dress codes go to accommodate this? Do you tattoo? That’s a question employers have to ask themselves these days. The reason: There’s a good chance that, if you haven’t already, you’ll soon be dealing with employees […]

Wage and Hour: Small Businesses Reeling from Minimum Wage Hike

According to a new survey, nearly 70 percent of small businesses say that they might have to raise their prices because of costs associated with the recent increase in the federal minimum wage, and 60 percent of small business owners predict they won’t be able to offset the cost of the wage increase.

Discrimination: Huge Verdict for LA Firefighter

A jury in Los Angeles has returned a $6.2 million verdict to Brenda Lee, a former Los Angeles firefighter who claimed she was the victim of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation because she is African American and a lesbian. The award included $3.5 million in back and future wages and benefits, plus $2.5 million for emotional […]

Study Lists Abilities HR Must Have for Success

A study of senior executives lists the skills and qualities human resources leaders must gain to reach full strategic partner status in their businesses, starting with “credible activism.” There’s good news and bad news in the world of human resources. The bad news is that according to a study of more than 468 companies worldwide […]

Should Everyone’s Pay Be Published? Our Readers Talk Back

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady When BLR’s CEO came out against proposed laws making salaries public after the recent U.S. Supreme Court case on the matter, readers reacted strongly … in both directions. Recently, I used this space to agree with a U.S. Supreme Court decision that discrimination in pay cases cannot be […]

8 Policies to Curb Employee Technology Misuse

Two experts prescribe 8 policies to handle workplace technology misuse problems. You could write them yourself, but there’s also an easier way … Yesterday’s Daily Advisor used the introduction of the new Apple® iPhone™ as an entrée into a discussion of the issues new technology has raised in the workplace. We recounted how in a […]