Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Why perform background checks? The primary reason is to protect your employees, clients/customers, suppliers and anyone who interacts with your employees. You have a duty to provide a safe working environment. Done legally, background checks can be an effective screening tool to find relevant information about job candidates. And employers have a duty to provide a safe workplace
By Fréderic Parisien A Canadian employee may claim that his or her employment is constructively dismissed when his or her employer makes a unilateral change to a fundamental term or condition of employment without appropriate notice. What about a change in the employer with no other change? Surely that can’t be a constructive dismissal. Apparently […]
Most human resources professionals and others involved in hiring know how to steer clear of the most obvious off-limits questions on job applications and in interviews. Asking about someone’s race, national origin or ancestry, gender, religion, age, disability, etc. can quickly raise red flags related to unlawful discrimination. But less obvious questions also can put […]
Many of our employees believe that their married co-worker—I’ll call him “Bob”—is having a romantic relationship with a woman who cleans our offices. This woman works for a cleaning company we’ve hired to come in three times a week. I’ve received complaints about their public displays of affection (although I’m not sure about the details) […]
Effective training enables your organization to comply with all legal requirements, thereby avoiding costly lawsuits, audits, and fines. Discrimination Because the affirmative defense for sexual harassment has been extended to other forms of discrimination, it is important to provide more specific and varied training on discrimination. The regulations that apply include: Age Discrimination in Employment […]
More and more workplaces are offering some form of flexibility in terms of where an employee works. Some organizations have even developed a 100% “virtual” workforce—having no central offices where employees gather and instead allowing all employees to work from home or wherever they happen to be. Other employers have chosen to allow more flexibility […]
The second half of 2017 brought devastating hurricanes to several areas of the Southern U.S. and Puerto Rico. In recognition of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, the U.S. Congress provided for both retirement plan hardship distribution tax relief and more generous plan loan rules for participants whose primary residences were damaged in one of the […]
If you’re anything like me, you’re sick of hearing about the whole Jerry Sandusky/Penn State sex abuse case. Sick of it, first and foremost, because the thought of what Sandusky allegedly did to those young boys, and the evidence appears overwhelming, is enough to make you physically ill. And sick of it because the 24-hour […]
by Philip Bruce Whether you have an established wellness program or are considering implementing a new one, now is a great time to review your wellness plan. Employees who are determined to lose weight for bathing suit season, quit smoking, or otherwise live a healthier lifestyle may be more inclined to take advantage of your […]
Effland, a shareholder at the Indianapolis office of Ogletree Deakins PC, says that USERRA (Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act) offers two essential rights, the right to take leave, and the right to return. The basics of the law are: Coverage: Virtually all employers, regardless of the number of employees. Eligibility: Virtually all employees […]