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Iowa workers’ comp changes coming July 1

by Tara Hall and Rebecca Duffy Changes to Iowa’s workers’ compensation law—changes seen as mostly beneficial to employers—are set to take effect July 1. The employer-friendly changes to the state’s workers’ comp law include a new provision classifying shoulder injuries as scheduled-member injuries rather than body-as-a-whole injuries, which force an industrial disability analysis. Another change […]

Insights from a CEO: How HR can get “a seat at the table”

HR has been working for “a seat at the table” for decades, yet that goal remains elusive. Just being the department in charge of what’s often touted as a company’s most valuable resource – its people – isn’t enough on its own. Despite lofty talk, HR often is still seen as the personnel department, a […]

Hold on loosely!

by Dan Oswald Being a good manager is a delicate balancing act. You have certain responsibilities, and the buck often stops with you. Assigning tasks, monitoring progress, and measuring results come with the territory. Look “manager” up in the dictionary, and you’ll find it described this way: “a person who has control or direction of […]

Navigating Joint Employment

As a recruiter, your new hire might be part of a joint employment relationship. Do you know all of the ins and outs of this relationship, including what your responsibilities are? Today we’ll hear some of the details from Susan Prince, JD, MSL, and legal editor at BLR®. By Susan Prince, JD, MSL, Legal Editor […]

AI

3 Ways AI Can Drive Innovation

Artificial intelligence (AI) has great potential to fundamentally change our world in areas from education and art to military, science, and business, among others. The potential changes are so great that it’s hard to wrap our heads around just what to expect.

Hiring an Independent Contractor? Make Sure to Pass the Tests

Perhaps the most common type of nontraditional worker in the new workforce is the independent contractor. The recession saw many people seeking work as independent contractors and as the economy has improved, these relationships have continued, whether due to the preference of the employer, the employee, or both.

Step up and make a difference in someone’s life

by Dan Oswald Early last year, Yesenia Diosdado, just 11 years old, got off her school bus near her home in Lexena, Kansas. As the bus pulled away, Yesenia noticed that a three-car accident had occurred at a busy nearby intersection. Police and emergency workers were on the scene attending to the victims. Yesenia wandered […]

One Form, Two Form, Here’s A New Form! The New I-9

By Holly K. Jones, JD There’s going to be a new I-9 form for human resources professionals to start using by late January—if you haven’t trained them on it already, do so right away! Here to help with some entertaining (and informative) Seussian poetry is BLR Senior Legal Editor Holly K. Jones, JD.

‘Sex-plus’ discrimination claims are still viable

by Rachel E. Burke The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals recently addressed the issue of whether a “sex- plus” claim of discrimination, in which a former employee claimed that she was discriminated against specifically for being an African-American female, can be made under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The case […]

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 […]