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.

Lack of Chemical Training Leads to Tragic Accident

Hazardous wastes need special handling. Failure to do so can result in tragedy. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited a hazardous waste treatment facility and levied heavy fines in the wake of a tragic fire and explosion. The incident killed one worker and severely burned another. The agency did not hold back […]

New executive actions target equal pay for women

President Barack Obama is once again using executive action related to the pay American workers earn. A White House fact sheet says the actions are aimed at fighting pay discrimination and strengthening enforcement of equal pay laws. In one action, Obama signed a presidential memorandum instructing Secretary of Labor Tom Perez to establish new regulations […]

United States reaches cap on H-1B visas in five days

It took just under a week for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to take in enough H-1B visa petitions to reach the statutory cap for fiscal year 2015, which begins on October 1, 2014. The USCIS announced April 7 that it received sufficient petitions to meet the caps of 65,000 visas for the […]

Customer Preference vs. Religious Garb and Grooming

In yesterday’s Advisor we presented several key questions and answers from EEOC’s new guidance on religious discrimination. Today, more from the guidance, plus we announce a free webcast on building a WOW! Recognition program. [Find more questions and answers here] Can an employer exclude someone from a position because of discriminatory customer preference? No. If […]

EEOC Issues Helpful (!) Guidance on Religious Garb and Grooming in the Workplace

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued helpful guidance on how federal employment discrimination law applies to religious dress and grooming practices. Here are highlights of the guidance. In most instances, federal law requires employers to make exceptions to their usual rules or preferences to permit applicants and employees to observe religious dress […]

Expat Tips—Prepare for Dual-Career Couples and Trailing Spouses

By Anthony Di Bratto As companies continue to expand globally and as international trade and production become both easier and more cost-effective, more and more companies are sending their employees abroad. These employees, known as expatriates or “expats,” are employees from the home country who are transferred to work in a host (foreign) country. This […]

Need Videos for Your Chemical Safety Training?

If you’re looking for a new method of training your employees on chemical safety, you may want to tap into their fondness for YouTube videos and reality TV. A 3-DVD set of 31 safety videos produced by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is available free of charge at CSB’s website. CSB is charged with […]

How Do Job Descriptions Relate to the ADA?

Effective job descriptions are important. Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is important. But how are the two tied together? Does the ADA place specific requirements on job description contents? The technical answer to that question is no, the ADA does not impose specific requirements on the job description. But the longer answer […]

Training Programs—What’s Happening in the Real World?

Everyone knows how important training is, but finding the time and budget is another story. So what’s happening in the real world? What are your competitors up to? What are best practices? Help us find out! Please participate in our brief survey and see how what you are doing for training stacks up against what […]

Employee Challenges Wellness Incentive under State Wage-Hour Law

A pharmacy chain is being sued over its requirement that employees undergo a “wellness exam” or pay a $600 surcharge on their health plan contribution. The lawsuit, filed in California state court as a class action, characterizes the surcharge as an illegal “wage deduction,” and contends that employees who did take the exam should have […]