Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
by Matthew H. Parker A series of amendments to Rhode Island law and the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 26 decision in United States v. Windsor have changed how most Rhode Island employers must treat same-sex married couples. Under the amendments, which go into effect on August 1, anyone who is eligible to marry in Rhode […]
Awards season is upon us and soon all of Hollywood will gather to celebrate its most talented actors and actresses, as determined by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Who will win the Oscar? While this question is being volleyed about and fiercely debated among Internet pundits and armchair critics, the nominees themselves […]
By Chris Semerjian The Quebec Superior Court recently upheld an arbitration award against Wal-Mart regarding the closure of its store in the town of Jonquière in 2005. That closure is now also affecting Wal-Mart elsewhere in Canada. The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal recently indicated that Wal-Mart’s actions in Quebec possibly could be perceived as an […]
What if an employer interested in improving the health of its employees—and reducing its health insurance premiums—could slap a device on workers to show statistics on physical fitness? Not only could the people participating in an employer-sponsored wellness program track their own progress, the employer also could see just how hard participants in its program […]
The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans recently addressed a case in which the employee alleged violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA). The dispute arose when the employee claimed she was given insufficient break time to express breast milk following the […]
Let’s hear it for job descriptions! OK, we agree, no one’s cheering about doing them, but we did explain in yesterday’s Advisor how important they are. Fortunately, there’s a handy program that makes quick work of job description tasks. We’re talking about BLR’s unique Job Descriptions Encyclopedia. Around here, we call it the “JDE.” Here’s […]
Last Monday, the Orioles made headlines for more than just their 5-2 win over the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Orioles player Adam Jones reported that Red Sox fans called him a racial slur several times and threw a bag of peanuts at him as he was entering the dugout. Police reportedly ejected 34 people, […]
If a pharmacy benefits manager promises a group health plan that there will be no administrative fee for drugs, it actually could be a red flag and not a cause for celebration. It could mean the PBM is “gaming the spread” or not passing rebates through to the plan. Plans can prevent this kind of […]
A Los Angeles jury recently awarded $1 million to Mustafa Rez, a waste management engineer for the city of Los Angeles who charged that he was discriminated against and harassed based on his national origin and Muslim religion. Rez claimed that after nine years of positive reviews, his problems started when he submitted a proposal […]
At a packed session presented by SHRM top 10 speaker Allison West Esq., SPHR SHRP-SCP, she offered these tips.