Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Do your employees realize that not all hazardous chemicals are liquids or vapors, or that some otherwise harmless chemicals like nitrogen can become very hazardous indeed under certain conditions? Make sure your workers grasp the full range of possibilities that the term “hazardous chemicals” encompasses. Background on chemical safety Who needs to be trained? OSHA’s […]
by Peter D. Lowe Maine employers need to pay attention to a new Maine law on the definition of “independent contractor” that goes into effect December 31. Legislative Document 1314, passed in Maine earlier this year, outlines two sets of conditions that must be in place for an individual to qualify as an independent contractor […]
Employers are getting a look at new final rules affecting how they structure wellness programs, rules that are meant to clear up conflicts among various federal laws but that also may make administration of wellness programs more challenging. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) new rules describe how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and […]
By Peyton S. Irby, Jr., JD A recent case from the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals—which covers Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas—involved multiple claims by a pregnant employee.
According to information highlighted by SHRM, hiring interns goes back to the guilds of the Middle Ages, when apprenticeships were highly sought after and prestigious.
by Steven L. Brenneman Illinois employers need to be aware of a few new laws taking effect January 1. Ban the box One of the new laws, the Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act, prohibits most private-sector employers and employment agencies with 15 or more employees from asking applicants about their criminal histories and conducting […]
How far does harassment have to go before it’s illegal? "You don’t care," says Attorney Jonathan Segal, "because long before it’s illegal it’s inappropriate, and you want to stop it there." Segal, a partner in the Philadelphia law office of Duane Morris LLP, offered his remarks at the recent SHRM conference in New Orleans. In […]
By Isabelle Dongier As we have repeatedly reported, there have been many changes to Canada’s immigration program in the past 18 months. Amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations were introduced in December 2013 to make it tougher and more costly for Canadian employers to hire foreign workers.
Employers in North Carolina will not face the complications their counterparts in states where same-sex marriage is legal or recognized do, but local and municipal governments that provide domestic partner benefits may have to change their policies. Tar Heel State voters on May 8 approved an amendment to the state constitution that defines marriage as […]
Plan administrators must distribute funds even when there is a dispute between an estate and an ex-spouse who waived beneficiary rights, says the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. It recently ruled in Kensinger v. URL Pharma, 674 F. 3d 131 (March 20, 2012) that a decedent’s estate could directly sue the recipient of ERISA-governed […]