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Mental Health Parity Rules Remove ‘Clinically Appropriate’ Exemption

Final mental health parity rules issued Nov. 8 make several changes to the prior, interim version. The exemption for “clinically appropriate standards of care” was eliminated because regulators decided it was confusing and subject to abuse, and the rules’ application to “intermediate” coverage levels was clarified in response to uncertainty about how the interim rules’ […]

Workplace Discipline Done Right: What Your Managers Need to Learn

You might think the law’s behind you when you discipline workers, but human factors can change the equation. Employment-at will is a bedrock concept of American business, allowing employers, with few exceptions, to fire anyone, at any time, for any legal reason. No documentation is legally required. But take that concept too literally and you […]

North Dakota employers need to be ready for new smoking law

by Lisa Edison-Smith North Dakota employers need to take steps to comply with a new antismoking law that will take effect on December 6, 2012. On November 6, voters approved Measure 4 by a 2-1 margin. The law “prohibit[s] smoking, including the use of electronic smoking devices, in public places and most places of employment […]

Hot List: Bestselling “Business Life” Books on Amazon.com

Amazon.com updates its list of the bestselling books every hour. Here is a snapshot of what is hot right now, this Monday morning, June 6, in the “Business Life” section of the “Business and Investing” category. 1. Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Professional and Personal Life by Richard Paul and and Linda […]

Recruiting Gurus: It’s the Year of the Passive Candidate

When HR managers at the recent SHRM conference in Chicago were asked what their most challenging problem is, virtually all responded, “Finding and keeping good people.” How can you locate and hold on to top performers in a tricky economy with a diminishing number of qualified candidates? Many experts suggest that so-called “passive” candidates are […]

Another Strike Against Wal-Mart in Quebec: Arbitrator Imposes Collective Agreement

For the last five years, two Wal-Mart big-box stores in Quebec have been the subject of certification applications filed by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW). The first store to be unionized was located in the town of Jonquière. Wal-Mart decided to close down that operation in 2005 immediately after the union applied […]

Hiring Based on Internet Searches: Are You Dodging the Bullet or Becoming the Target?

If you rejected a candidate because of information you found on the Internet, did you dodge the bullet of a bad hire or make yourself the target of a big ticket lawsuit? Here’s one expert’s advice. Doing a Google® search on a job applicant—it’s sooo tempting. Facebook®, MySpace® and a dozen other sites are just […]

Are You Clear on This Week’s Minimum Wage Changes, Exemptions, Independent Contractors?

Wage and hour questions should be simple, but every comp manager knows they’re not. What to do … especially when you have to depend on low-level supervisors to manage things? First, let’s finish explaining the minimum wage change, then talk about how to keep comp in compliance. In yesterday’s Advisor, we covered states affected by […]