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Background Checks: Employer Whose Independent Contractor Murdered A Client Ordered To Pay $11.5 Million; Precautions To Take

A recent verdict against an employer that failed to properly screen an ex-convict serves as a serious warning: You need to thoroughly check applicant backgrounds before putting someone to work as an employee or independent contractor. We’ll offer tips to help you prevent the problems one company faced.

Employee Expenses: DLSE Proposes Expense Reimbursement Rules

Under Labor Code section 2802, employers must indemnify employees for “all necessary expenditures or losses” an employee incurs in direct connection with performing his or her job duties. But employers, employees, and courts have grappled with issues such as what must be reimbursed and at what rates, and whether paying an increased salary or commission […]

6 Common Mistakes in Hiring Support Staff

Support staff are not interchangeable parts. Sidestep these 6 mistakes and you can hire and keep the best. In the army, it’s the infantry; in the factory, the line workers; and in the office, the administrative staff. Every organization has its “troops”—the people who carry out the basic tasks of the business. Think of these […]

Steer clear of holiday season’s discrimination hazards

December is often a time for office parties, gift exchanges, and general holiday cheer in the workplace, but the season also can bring claims of discrimination and harassment if employers aren’t mindful of a religiously diverse workforce.  Legal hazards come in many forms. For example, non-Christians may feel discriminated against or harassed by all the […]

Social media recruiting basics from an expert

Social media recruiting is of growing importance as more and more candidates position themselves online through social media profiles. During the past few years, social media has crept into our lives and workplaces, and its presence is now as ubiquitous as any other news medium.

Your Rep’s ‘Perceived Symbols of Wealth’ Derail Mediations

Marcus offered her tips on succeeding with mediation at a recent meeting of the Employers’ Counsel Network (ECN) in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Employers’ Counsel Network includes the attorneys from each state who write BLR’s state employment law newsletters. Marcus is one of the EEOC mediators based in the Boston office of the EEOC. Sometimes it’s […]

From My Cold, Dead Hands

You might have heard that the Supreme Court recently threw out the District of Columbia’s decades-long ban on handguns. Of course, there are limitations. If you are mentally insane or a convicted felon, then you’re out of luck. So, many of our favorites on The Office probably still can’t pack heat into the Capitol — […]

Minnesota employers need to be ready for medical marijuana by July 1

by Laurie Jirak Distribution of medical marijuana in Minnesota is set to begin July 1, so employers need to understand their rights and responsibilities under the state’s new medical marijuana law. Confusion may arise because employers are subject to both federal and state laws that may impose different standards or requirements on workplace medical marijuana […]