Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Lie detector or polygraph tests can provide employers with a tool to test the honesty of a prospective or current employee. But watch out, because the tests can do you more harm than good and invite lawsuits. Under California law, it’s illegal for private-sector employers to demand or require employees or applicants to submit to […]
Yesterday, we looked at the rules regarding consumer reports in California. Today: the rules that apply if you conduct your background checks yourself. We’ll also tell you about a detailed recordkeeping resource, specifically for California employers, you won’t want to be without.
I see there’s a new U.S. Supreme Court decision on medical marijuana. How does this affect me and my employees? I have an employee who uses medical marijuana to ease his glaucoma symptoms—is this still legal? — K.L. in Fresno
I guess we’re all afraid of something. When we were kids, we might have been afraid of the dark or monsters under the bed. As adults, those fears often seem bigger or more real. We may have a fear of heights, the outdoors, or even failure.
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 […]
In a controversial ruling two years ago, a California Court of Appeal ruled that you could discharge high-earning employees over age 40 and replace them with lower-paid workers if your motivation was simply to save money. Labor organizations have sought to overturn the decision ever since, and now Governor Davis has signed legislation that does […]
After Thomas White was fired from his job at an Ultramar convenience store several years ago for allegedly stealing a soda, his employer was ordered by a jury to pay $342,000 in lost earnings and punitive damages. And the company’s legal expenses were just beginning, as the case wound its way through the state appeals […]
On May 20, Pennsylvania became the latest state to have its same-sex marriage ban barred when a federal district judge struck down the state’s 1994 law. The decision, which followed a similar ruling in Oregon a day earlier, makes Pennsylvania the 19th state to allow same-sex marriage. After the ruling, Governor Tom Corbett said he […]
Scurrying to get ready for F-Day? All the new FMLA changes are effective January 16. We’ve gathered some compliance tips from a nationally recognized expert, attorney Frank Alvarez. Alvarez is national coordinator of law firm Jackson Lewis’s Disability, Leave & Health Management Practice Group. Here are his thoughts on some changes employers have hoped for. […]
In light of current events, including the unrest in the Middle East and the recent terrorist plot uncovered in London, it’s wise to take a close look at what you can do to ensure the safe passage of employees who are required to travel abroad as part of their jobs. Here are three tips: Check […]