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Cell Company to Pay $435,000 for Unequal Wages

A New York-based company that refurbishes cell phones at its factory in Long Island will pay $435,000 to settle a wage discrimination and retaliation suit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The agency charged that First Wireless Group, Inc., engaged in a pattern or practice of race and/or national origin discrimination against […]

Hallelujah! Help Arrives for the Small HR Department

If you (or just you and a couple of assistants) have to do it all in human resources at your company, you need all the help you can get. We’ve got some help just for you. The hit Broadway musical, “A Chorus Line” kicks off with a song called “One.” It celebrates a young dancer, […]

Electronic Communications: Why Employer’s Unauthorized Monitoring Of An Employee’s Private Web Site Spelled Trouble

Current and former employees are increasingly bad-mouthing their companies by posting negative and possibly defamatory comments about their employers on the Internet. And some employers have gone to great lengths to find out who is responsible. With layoffs on the upswing, employer-bashing is likely to grow as the number of disgruntled workers increases. Now a […]

360 Reviews Are Badly Needed, as People Do Tend to Be Self-Delusional

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady The article title was one of the many responses to Bob Brady’s column of March 19, which asked for readers’ thoughts on 360 reviews. The results of his survey show that the practice is relatively common, but isn’t universally perceived as "great." One hundred and sixty-one readers participated […]

The FMLA Comes of Age: New Rights for Military Families

Employers have expand job protections for military members and their families who need time off, to comply with regulations finalized by the U.S. Department of Labor Feb. 5. Major provisions, which implement changes to the Family and Medical Leave Act, include: Defining a covered veteran, consistent with statutory limitations, as limited to veterans discharged or […]

Family and Medical Leave: How Should We Handle Employees Who Regularly Call in Sick on Short Notice?

  A few of our employees call in sick on a semi-regular basis with legitimate but unpredictable health issues relating to conditions like epilepsy and asthma. Is this time off covered by FMLA/CFRA? The employees can’t give us much advance notice because their symptoms come on so suddenly.  —Anonymous   Many employers struggle with whether absences due […]

EEOC, FTC team up to provide tips on background checks

Employers and jobseekers alike are getting more direction on employer use of background checks with the release of two technical assistance documents from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). On March 10, the EEOC and the FTC copublished the documents, which are available on the agencies’ websites. The documents—Background […]

Secret of Great Places to Work? Two Words: Culture Fit (Video)

Michael Burchell shares some of the best practices for attracting employees he’s encountered during his work as VP of global business development and a senior consultant with The Great Place to Work Institute. He maintains that it’s important to determine if an applicant would be a “good culture fit” for your company. Beyond the interview […]