Most Popular

Employers Increasingly Offer PTO for Adoption (Infographic)

Employers are increasingly offering paid time off for adoptions, according to a new report from consulting group Mercer. The benefit is likely an attempt to meet the needs of a workforce in which the definition of “family” now includes same-sex parents, the firm said. While employees in the U.S. have access to 12 weeks’ unpaid […]

Announcing a Special BLR Audio Conference: EEO-1 Revised: What You Have to Do Now

The annual EEO-1 report, due each September and covering 50 million workers, has finally been revised. Your first revised report will be due this fall, but you need to be collecting data in the new way right now. This article…plus a special BLR audio conference on Feb. 20… will help you do it right. It […]

Will Your Investigation Satisfy a Jury?

  If you carry out misconduct investigations, how good should they be? As good as the jury thinks they should be, say today’s experts. And that better be pretty darn good, because juries expect a lot from HR.

The Value of Cognitive Assessments for Recruiting

Currently, the global cognitive assessment and training market is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32.39% from 2018–2022. So, it’s becoming apparent that many organizations spanning many industries are beginning to see the value of cognitive assessments and how cost-effective they are, especially when recruiting and onboarding new hires.

Are generic antigay comments considered harassment?

by Steve Jones Q I have an employee who is outwardly gay. He is a great employee and says he loves working at my business. However, he recently mentioned that he doesn’t like when a specific coworker uses antigay slurs. The slurs are not directed toward the gay employee. Instead, the slurs are generic comments […]

Employers Can Restrict Union Use of Company E-mail

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has ruled that employers can prohibit employees from using company e-mail to send union-related messages while allowing some personal use of e-mail. In a 3-2 decision dated December 16 but released December 21, the NLRB majority ruled that the e-mail policy of Eugene, Oregon, newspaper The Register-Guard wasn’t a […]

A Busy Year for the California Legislature; And Now Employers Must Come Up to Speed

California lawmakers stayed busy throughout the year, passing a number of new wage, hour, leave and anti-discrimination laws.  Here, in no particular order, are some of the biggies that go into effect Jan. 1: Pregnancy Disability Leave All employers with five or more employees will be required, starting Jan. 1, to continue to maintain and […]

Last-minute Tips for Amending HIPAA Business Associate Contracts

As the transition period for amending business associate agreements draws to a close, HIPAA experts have highlighted some issues for plan sponsors to keep in mind. Under last year’s HIPAA/HITECH omnibus rules, all contracts with business associates must be compliant with the rules by Sept. 22. Obviously, group health plans and other HIPAA-covered entities that […]

Wellness Plans Discriminate, Union Official Says

Wellness benefits have exploded in the past decade because they purportedly make employees healthier and save employers money, but they have found a detractor in at least one labor union.  John Borsos, secretary-treasurer of the National Union of Healthcare Workers, told reporters in Washington, D.C., Dec. 17, that wellness programs are a $6 billion industry […]

Background Checks: New Consumer Report Rules In Effect Now; What’s Changed

Last year, Gov. Davis signed into law some controversial state consumer report rules. And now the governor has signed two new laws, A.B. 1068 and A.B. 2868, that revise the complicated consumer reporting process. The changes have taken effect immediately—and impact how you conduct workplace investigations, background checks and reference checks. Internal Background Check Rules RepealedUnder […]