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.

Supreme Court to Decide When Title VII’s Anti-retaliation Protections Apply

The U.S. Supreme Court is now weighing arguments in a case with important ramifications for the many employers that have been accused of retaliation — or who fear being accused of retaliation — when they discipline or fire an employee. For workers, the case raises questions about the strength and scope of Title VII’s anti-retaliation […]

FAQs on completing medical certifications for FMLA/CFRA

Medical certification rules are designed to help employers verify whether a requested leave of absence is covered under the FMLA/CFRA. But simply asking the employee to return the medical certification does not always answer that question. For example, what medical certification should employers require for serious health conditions that are incurable—and how often can recertifications […]

Strategies for Coping With a Wage and Hour Audit

Thousands of employers get a figurative knock-on-the-door each year from an investigator from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division. WHD is the agency responsible for enforcing the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Davis-Bacon Act and the Service Contract Act, among other laws. A visit from WHD […]

Employer Violated NLRA by Firing Workers for Facebook Postings

Clothing retailer Bettie Page must reinstate three terminated employees with back pay and rescind an unlawful handbook rule, said the National Labor Relations Board in affirming a lower court’s finding that the employer violated several provisions of the National Labor Relations Act. The NLRB agreed that the employer violated the NLRA’s prohibition of unfair labor […]

Companywide Ethics Training Helps Ensure Policy Effectiveness

Many organizations train their supervisors and managers on employee ethics. While it is imperative for those individuals to have a thorough understanding of ethics policies and codes of conduct, training for all employees will increase the likelihood that the policy and code are followed companywide. Here is some information to convey to supervisors and managers […]

Get Involved in NAOSH Week, May 5 to 11!

The theme for this year’s NAOSH Week is “Worker safety works for everyone.” Join companies across North America and the world in renewing your commitment to safety training and safety enforcement this week. Remind employees that following safety rules all the time is the most effective way to stay safe. Some examples of general rules […]

Checklist for Avoiding Wellness Program Legal Entanglements

Yesterday’s Advisor featured attorney Mark Jones on how wellness programs get into legal trouble. Today, his checklist for avoiding legal hassles, plus an introduction to the all-HR-in-one website, HR.BLR.com®. Jones, who is a partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP in Los Angeles, offered his wellness guidance at a recent Benefits Boot Camp sponsored by […]

Ruling supports firing pot smokers despite Colorado law

The Colorado Court of Appeals has upheld an employee’s firing for off-duty marijuana use, despite medical and recreational use of the drug being allowed under state law. A quadriplegic employee who used marijuana under the state’s medical marijuana amendment filed a lawsuit after he tested positive for drugs in violation of company policy and was […]