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Senate Health Care Reform Bill’s Impact on Employers

After weeks of negotiating, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) finally unveiled a highly anticipated health care reform bill Wednesday night called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The 2,074-page bill is a combination of two different health care reform bills approved by Senate committees earlier this year. Reid revealed the Senate bill […]

New ADA Design Standards Take Effect March 15

Employers covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) must make sure any new building projects are in compliance with the 2010 Standards for Accessible Design by March 15. The new standards replace the 1991 standards devised when the ADA became law. The 2010 standards set minimum requirements for new construction and alterations of more […]

Hangovers, Sick Days Often Follow Company Holiday Parties

Do you see an uptick of absences the day after your company holiday party? According to a recent survey, many times, alcohol is to blame for the missed day. According to a recent survey from Caron Treatment Centers, 64 percent of Americans have called in sick or know someone who has missed a day of […]

Thou Shalt Not Unreasonably Question Employees’ Religious Beliefs

By Mark G. Jeffries Q: If an employee asks for time off based on her religious beliefs, can I legally question her about her religion (e.g., what her religion is and why she needs time off)? A: Yes, you may question an employee about her religious beliefs if you have an objective basis for questioning […]

States Retain Sovereign Immunity from Suit Under FMLA Self-Care Provisions

In a 5-4 opinion delivered Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court held that state employers are immune from suit for damages under the self-care provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). In the case, Daniel Coleman sued his employer, the Court of Appeals of the State of Maryland, for $1.1 million in damages when […]

Who Packs Your Parachutes?

By Dan Oswald President, M. Lee Smith Publishers Just My E-pinion If you’re a pilot or paratrooper or skydiver, you pretty much depend on the person who packs your parachute. In today’s e-pinion, M. Lee Smith Publishers LLC president Dan Oswald challenges you to ask, Who packs your parachutes? Charles Plumb was a Navy jet […]

Bush Orders Federal Contractors to Use E-Verify

Update: E-verify deadline moved to September 2009 On June 6, President George W. Bush issued an executive order requiring all federal government contractors to use E-Verify to verify the work authorization of all new hires and existing personnel assigned to perform work on future federal contracts. The amended Executive Order 12989 states: “Adherence to the […]

Ramping Up at BLR: Hiring Key People

From Dan: As a way to honor the individuals who have taught me critical life lessons about people and business, I’ve invited several to write guest columns to run in this space over the next few weeks. Today’s voice of experience once again is Robert L. Brady, the founder of BLR®—Business & Legal Resources. This […]

Can Transparency Cure a Bad Reputation?

Yesterday we looked at what you can do to avoid a bad reputation. Today we’ll look at how transparency can help those efforts.

Hot List: Wall Street Journal’s Bestselling Hardcover Business Books

The following is a list of the bestselling hardcover business books as ranked by the Wall Street Journal with data from Nielsen BookScan. 1. Get Rich Click!: The Ultimate Guide to Making Money on the Internet by Marc Ostrofsky. Includes strategies and techniques for the Internet entrepreneur and real-life success stories about people who made […]