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.

Happy Workers are Hard Workers, Right? Right.

HR experts emphasize the role of employee engagement in creating and maintaining a productive workforce. But, what does engagement really mean? And, more importantly, how can you drive it? Vip Sandhir, CEO and founder of HighGround®, has answered a list of commonly asked questions on employee engagement. Q. Why is employee engagement such a large […]

Make Sure Your Manager Can Say Being Your Boss Is Pretty Great

National Car Rental’s new commercial asks, “What’s it like to be the boss of you?” And it also answers the question: “Pretty great.” The actor in the commercial, Patrick Warburton, then negotiates a 20 percent raise for himself with himself. If only life were that easy! But I like the question the commercial asks. “What’s […]

Retaliation Claim Prevention Training—Tips from the EEOC

by Catherine Moreton Gray Retaliation claims—even unfounded ones—are a perpetual concern following adverse employment actions. But there are steps employers can take to protect themselves. Catherine Moreton Gray, BLR’s senior managing editor for human resources and compensation, has some tips from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Supreme Court’s ERISA ruling a victory for self-insured employers

The U.S. Supreme Court’s March 1 ruling in a Vermont case relieves self-insured employers from the obligation to report claims data to state governments that have established databases reflecting healthcare use and costs for citizens. The reach of the ruling extends beyond Vermont to all self-insured plans. “It absolutely has national implications,” Linda J. Cohen, […]

Joint Employment Policies and the FMLA

By Susan Prince, JD, MSL, Legal Editor at BLR In yesterday’s Advisor, Susan Prince, JD, MSL, and legal editor at BLR®, began to discuss the ins and outs of forming and maintaining a joint employment environment. Today, we’ll hear what she has to say about joint employment and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). […]

FMLA: Termination Due to Restrictions During High-Risk Pregnancy

By Stephen W. Jones, JD The 8th Circuit—which covers Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota—recently held that presenting a doctor’s note to her employer entitled a pregnant employee to the protections of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the employer’s decision to fire her on the last day of […]

Bipolar Employee’s Failure to Return to Work Dooms ADA Claims

By Ryann E. Ricchio, JD A recent decision from the 7th Circuit Court—which covers Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin—presents employers with an interesting analysis and a good review of the various theories and methods of proof for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) claims. The 7th Circuit affirmed a lower court’s decision in favor of the employer, […]

Balancing Work and Cancer: How HR and Managers Can Help

By Rebecca V. Nellis, MPP, Chief Mission Officer A cancer diagnosis often catches people by surprise. When the person with cancer is one of your employees, knowing how to react is not intuitive. The truth is, when an employee discloses their diagnosis to you, they are looking for direction. Your next steps will be remembered […]