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Wal-Mart Allowed to Close Unionized Store: Supreme Court of Canada

By Marc Ouellet and Louise Béchamp On November 27, 2009, in two cases involving Wal-Mart (Plourde v. Wal-Mart Canada Corp. and Desbiens v. Wal-Mart Canada Corp.), the Supreme Court of Canada rendered its much-awaited decision on an employer’s right to close operations for alleged antiunion reasons. The Supreme Court decisions rule that Wal-Mart could close […]

Disciplining Employees: New Case Points Out Why It’s Important To Have Consistent Standards Before Taking Action

One of your employees has been violating work rules. You document the problems and eventually terminate the worker. It appears you’ve done everything right and responded appropriately to the employee’s misconduct. But a new ruling makes clear that viewing each case of discipline and termination in a vacuum can get you in trouble. Even if […]

The 3 Worst Mistakes Your Managers Are Making Right Now

Maybe you’ve heard the old saw about the perfect business being one with no managers, no supervisors, and no employees. Unfortunately, your business isn’t perfect — if it is, we’d love to hear about it! — and you have to deal with managers and supervisors who are probably making these common, risky mistakes right now.

Which Occupations Have the Widest Gender Pay Gaps?

Yesterday’s Advisor featured questions and answers from a recent OFCCP-sponsored chat. Today, more answers from the agencies plus an introduction to a highly practical collection of prewritten, ready-to-use HR policies. Pat Shiu, director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), was joined for the chat by Latifa Lyles, acting director of the Women’s […]

New I-9 Form Required Starting April 3

All employers are required to verify the employment eligibility of their employees by completing a federal Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 for each worker. Employers can use self-audits to verify that the employment eligibility documentation kept on file for their employees is accurate. Recent changes Effective April 3, 2009, the list of documents acceptable to […]

Benefits: Can We Screen Out Unhealthy Applicants When We Hire?

Our healthcare premiums have gone through the roof (whose haven’t?), and management is putting pressure on me to get the costs down. They think we can have an impact by establishing health criteria to screen out applicants who will be likely to have high health bills, e.g., smokers, those who are overweight and/or have high […]

EEOC Proposes 30-percent Limit for Wellness Incentives

Financial wellness incentives of up to 30 percent of coverage costs would be allowed under the Americans with Disabilities Act, based on rules proposed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. This long-awaited guidance generally defers to HIPAA’s nondiscrimination rules, as amended by health care reform, in determining whether a wellness program is permitted by […]

Massachusetts Criminal Record Rule Changes Finish Taking Effect May 4

by Tim Murphy In 2010, the Massachusetts Legislature made sweeping changes to the statute governing employers’ use of Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI). In addition to prohibiting employers from asking about an applicant’s criminal history on the job application, the amendments called for additional changes to the way employers access CORI data and how they […]

EBSA’s Lifetime Income Illustration: Some Question DOL Formula

The day after the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration issued a proposal outlining rules it is considering for lifetime income illustrations in pension benefit statements, retirement industry professionals applauded DOL’s effort but expressed concern about how realistic the proposal’s formulas are. In the recently released advance notice of proposed rulemaking, EBSA is […]