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8 Strategies for Employers to Foster Mental Wellness

Mental illness has become an almost daily presence in today’s headlines. With the issue becoming more and more prominent, it must be addressed in the place where many people spend most of their time—at work. Author Graeme Cowan says that employers are in a prime position to make a difference with America’s collective mental health.

EEOC Claims Record Year in 2011

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is touting fiscal year 2011 as a record year for obtaining monetary settlements and taking in discrimination charges. Also, the agency said it finished the fiscal year on September 30 with a 10 percent decrease in its pending charge inventory, the first such reduction since 2002. The agency released […]

Team in Trouble: One word & two cultures = production problems

A team is missing its production deadlines, and a different cultural interpretation of the word “deadline” is the cause. Two experts offer solutions for fixing the problem. The Problem: Don is production manager in a printing company that produces books for major publishers. Five years ago, the company added binding to its services, and Don […]

Employee Benefits: New EEOC Guidelines On When It Is—And Isn’t—Legal To Discriminate In Providing Benefits, Part 1

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has released comprehensive new guidelines addressing the legality of benefit differentials under several federal anti-discrimination laws. The guidelines apply to health and life insurance, long- and short-term disability benefits, severance, pension and early retirement incentives.

Recruiting Teenagers: Program Lures Future Talent

The early bird catches the worm — and the best employees. At least that’s the thinking of the Association of Corporate Counsel and the Street Law organization, which are working together to encourage young people of color to extend their educations and consider law-related careers. Among other things, their Corporate Legal Diversity Pipeline program pairs […]

Federal contractor ‘pay transparency’ rule up for comment

by Tammy Binford The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has published a proposed rule aimed at ensuring that employees of federal contractors are allowed to discuss their compensation. The proposed rule, which was published in the September 17 Federal Register, gives interested parties until December 16 to submit comments. The rule’s language prohibits federal contractors […]

UAW trying different approach to unionize Volkswagen plant

Despite two failed attempts to unionize the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the United Auto Workers (UAW) on July 10 announced the creation of Local 42, a local that Chattanooga VW workers can join voluntarily. “We’ve had ongoing discussions with Volkswagen and have arrived at a consensus with the company,” Gary Casteel, the UAW’s secretary-treasurer, […]

teacher

Is Employee Totally Disabled or Not? U.S. Appeals Court Must Decide

By Kate McGovern Tornone, Editor A recent ruling by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals—which covers Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee—has found that an employee who cannot explain discrepancies between her Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation request and her Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) application cannot bring a disability discrimination claim against her employer.

Florida

Employee or Trainee? Florida Employer Learns the Difference

By Tom Harper, The Law and Mediation Offices of G. Thomas Harper, LLC Imagine you have a worker who is nearing retirement. His son agrees to learn the position in anticipation of taking over when his father retires. You don’t pay the worker’s son, even though he performs some work for you. Is the worker’s […]