Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
By Dinita L. James In the case of Collins v. Brewer, a federal judge from Alaska, deciding a case from Arizona, barred the state’s attempt to do away with benefits for same-sex domestic partners of state employees. Earlier this year, there was an argument on the case before a three-judge panel of the Ninth U.S. […]
Although I gather it’s not illegal yet to talk on a handheld cell phone while driving, I’ve been hearing about some situations in which the company was held liable for accidents when the employee was doing business on the cell phone while driving. Even while driving to a ball game with the kids and taking […]
Yes, the new Apple® wonder will do everything but stand on its head. But will it answer any of these tech-based workplace challenges? If not, what is the solution? Earlier this summer, after a massive publicity buildup, Apple (no longer Apple Computer, if you please) introduced the iPhone. This handy new device brought new talents […]
by Keri Bennett As we reported previously, the Canadian federal government is about to join most of the provinces in making mandatory retirement, for the most part, unlawful. That deadline is fast approaching – December 15, 2012. What can employers do until then? According to the Canadian Human Rights Commission, very little. Human Rights Commission […]
By Clayton Jones Last week we told you about the recent decision in Irving Pulp & Paper where the Supreme Court of Canada severely limited an employer’s right to perform random alcohol and drug testing in the workplace. The implications of the Irving decision will undoubtedly be far-reaching, including on two prominent cases currently being […]
Three-quarters of Americans (75%) are living paycheck-to-paycheck to make ends meet, according to a survey from CareerBuilder. Thirty-eight percent of employees said they sometimes live paycheck-to-paycheck, 15% said they usually do and 23% said they always do.
The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), which enforces federal anti-bias and affirmative action laws affecting federal contractors, has issued new rules for finding discrimination in federal contractors’ pay systems, as well as guidelines for contractors to conduct self-audits. The rules went into effect on the same day the OFCCP published them, June 16, […]
January 2013 is National Mentoring Month, which is the perfect time for employers that may be interested in establishing an external mentoring program to learn about how they can get started and enjoy the benefits of providing employee-mentors while helping their local community. In this video, BLR interviews an expert on internal and external business […]
A successor employer could not escape paying a $500,000 damages award for the previous owner’s Fair Labor Standards Act violations. The case, Teed et al. v. Thomas & Betts Power Solutions LLC, Nos. 12-2440, 12-3029 (7th Cir. March 26, 2013), involved a tricky analysis of whether the purchaser of a business could be held responsible […]
Court orders can have direct and enforceable consequences in the workplace. While these matters arise from an employee’s personal life, employers are often legally obligated to comply with court orders and must do so without engaging in or exacerbating the underlying dispute. Failure to understand these obligations can result in statutory penalties, civil liability, or […]