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Faces of HR: How Orlando Ashworth’s Marine Corps Roots Shaped His HR Calling

For Orlando Ashworth, Chief People Officer at Blood Cancer United, the foundation of a successful HR career wasn’t built in a traditional corporate office—it was forged in the United States Marine Corps. Ashworth served and retired after 20 years in the military. His transition into the human resources field took root in 2005 when he […]

‘Worker centers’ thriving in the absence of unions

by W. Scott McLellan I’m based in Austin, and as you may know, Texas is not exactly a hotbed of traditional labor unions. Unlike employers in other parts of the country, Texas employers have long enjoyed a degree of flexibility in operations and employee relations that unions can prevent. However, that flexibility can lead to […]

News Notes: Federal Employees Discouraged From Using Cell Phones While Driving

The U.S. General Services Administration has asked federal agencies to discourage employees from using handheld wireless phones while driving government vehicles. Citing pending legislation around the nation to regulate the use of cell phones while driving, the GSA stated that the government should assume a leadership role in promoting cell phone safety by its employees. […]

HHS Launches Phase 2 HIPAA Privacy Audits

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has officially launched its long-awaited Phase 2 HIPAA audit program, the head of HHS’ Office for Civil Rights said at a March 21 conference. The process has begun with the emailing of address verification letters to a pool of potential auditees, said OCR Director Jocelyn Samuels. OCR […]

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Workplace safety in an age of viral panic

by Jo Ellen Whitney In a world with a 24-hour news cycle, multiple TV channels specifically designated to the news, Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and a constant news machine that needs to be fed, the adage “If it bleeds, it leads” has more power than ever before. In late 2014, we saw a good example of […]

Immigration Bill Pushes High-Tech Plan for Employment Verification

Immigration reform legislation continues to heat up on both the state and federal fronts. In the midst of protests surrounding a new Arizona law that critics see as a license for racial profiling, a group of Democratic senators unveiled a new federal bill on April 29 that would require employers to use biometric social security […]

Occupational Health and Safety Law May Apply to Nonworkers

A customer is hit by a car in your parking lot and is severely injured. You call 911 and a fire truck and ambulance arrive on the scene. A police officer also interviews all witnesses. This makes sense – the customer needs medical attention and the police have to investigate the incident. Surely your obligations […]

Who’s in Control: 3rd Circuit Looks at FLSA’s Joint Employer Test

When a worker is employed by two or more separate employers, this normally presents no special problems under the Fair Labor Standards Act. But even where the employee works for an entirely separate employer, there may still be a question of whether two employers are so entangled as to create a “joint employment” relationship where […]

“You’ve got mail! And it just might be a warrant for your arrest”

You don’t have to try very hard these days to find employment law references in pop culture. Movies and TV shows examine issues of employment discrimination, politicians seem unable to resist the urge to text photos of their private parts to their disgusted subordinates, and professional athletes provide ample fodder for lawyers in desperate search […]