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What Can Trainers Do to Work Successfully with SMEs?

“Getting them involved can be very difficult,” she says. Since training is likely not among the SMEs’ job responsibilities, it can be hard to schedule time with them and to get the information you need from them when you need it, Lee explains. She recommends scheduling “kick off meetings” with SMEs to set clear expectations, […]

Bahama Breeze Pays $1.26 Million for Race Claim

On December14, 2009, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced a class-action settlement with national restaurant chain Bahama Breeze for $1.26 million and significant remedial relief. The case originated with 37 black workers at the company’s Beachwood, Ohio, location who claimed they were repeatedly harassed because of their race. In the lawsuit, the EEOC charged […]

harassment

Training to Prevent Sexual Harassment Suits

A substitute school custodian said she was pressured to have sex with a foreman in exchange for more hours and then retaliated against for refusing his advances and lodging a sexual harassment complaint. This case demonstrates the importance of training employees and supervisors on sexual harassment prevention and on protocols for reporting harassment.

Ask the Right Questions—Find the Right Answers

Many leaders believe they must have all the answers—that it’s their responsibility to have the answer to every question and the solution to every problem. In my estimation, it’s more important to ask the right questions than it is to always have the answer.

ACA Employer Responsibility Requirement (‘Play or Pay’)

We offer 100% of our employees health benefits. Are we still required to track Full Time Equivalents? The Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) employer responsibility requirement (or the “play or pay” provision) does not require employers to provide healthcare insurance for their employees. Instead, it requires employers to share healthcare responsibility by either providing coverage or […]

OCR Expects Consistency in HIPAA Breach Response

When investigating a breach of IT network security leading to leakage of protected health information, HHS looks for consistency in the covered entity’s response — with both HIPAA rules and the organization’s own written procedures, according to a former official with HHS’ Office for Civil Rights. OCR tends to “expect a perfect assessment done the […]

9 steps employers can take to address mental illness at work

By Eowynne Noble Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a common type of depression, often arises when the daylight hours get shorter, according to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, a leading Canadian hospital. With the winter months upon us, many of us will experience the winter blues, but for some the blues may be a […]

‘Liking’ Facebook Post About Employer Is Protected Concerted Activity, Says NLRB

The National Labor Relations Board ruled that “liking” a Facebook post criticizing an employer’s business practices constituted protected concerted activity for one restaurant employee, making his resulting termination unlawful. The Board also found violations in a number of the company’s other actions, including interrogating employees about the Facebook posts, threatening legal action and maintaining an […]

Unions: Workers’ Weingarten Rights Are Expanded; What You Need to Know About Representation During Investigations

Under the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1975 Weingarten rule, employees have the right to have a union representative present at any investigatory meeting they reasonably believe could result in disciplinary action. In a 2001 case, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) further clarified employees’ Weingarten rights by ruling that employees have the right to a representative […]