Are Your Employees Also Customers?
Being a user of your company’s products or services isn’t a prerequisite for employee engagement, but it doesn’t hurt.
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Wage and Hour: BMW to Pay for Donning and Doffing Time
Luxury automaker BMW has agreed to pay $629,000 in overtime back wages to workers at the company’s plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to settle a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) lawsuit alleging the company violated federal wage and hour law. The settlement, which will be shared by 1,224 workers, covers the period from April 2003 […]
ADA Allows Employers to Require Firm End Date for Leave
By Kate McGovern Tornone, Editor The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) permits an employer to require a firm expected return-to-work date when granting leave as an accommodation.
Appeals Court Upholds Award for Teacher with Seasonal Affective Disorder
A school district failed to accommodate a teacher with seasonal affective disorder, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has determined, upholding a jury’s award of damages. The 7th Circuit had already heard the case, Ekstrand v. School District of Somerset (No. 11-1949, June 26, 2012), once before. Renae Eskstrand filed suit against her employer, […]
The Dangers of Hiring Friends and Family
Hiring those from within our close personal network—i.e., friends and family—has been a common practice since the earliest days of specialized work. We feel like we can trust people we know, want to give them a means of income, and want to groom someone to take over after we, or other employees, leave the company. But […]
Staggering Economy Dragging Down Pay Raises
By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady Last week, BLR CEO Bob Brady asked you to take a quick survey to confirm anecdotal evidence that organizations are ratcheting back on pay raises planned for 2009. You did—and did you ever. The current economic turmoil appears to have claimed yet another victim—pay increases planned for 2009. […]
Excessive Absenteeism: When Enough is Enough
By Keri Bennett Employers everywhere often wonder when an employee’s “innocent” or no-fault absences reach a level that warrants termination. Can these employees ever be fired? Yes, is the answer from one New Brunswick labor arbitrator in Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 1252 and Vitalité Health Network. Facts A nurse at a hospital in […]
Male-Male Sexual Harassment Claims on the Rise
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), sexual harassment charges by men have doubled since 1992, accounting for 16 percent of the 12,696 sexual harassment charges filed in the 2009 fiscal year. And while female-male sexual harassment certainly makes up some portion of those claims, it’s evident that male-male harassment claims are also on […]
What NOT to Do During the Interview
It’s hard enough hiring new employees without making these common and damaging interview mistakes.
Salary History Questions—Soon to Be Illegal?
Organizations can appreciate the importance of training hiring managers in asking appropriate (and legal) preemployment questions. However, new legislation may make it so that they have a new topic to avoid during the application and interview process: the candidate’s salary history.