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Cool Down The Termination Process

Stories abound in the media of disgruntled employees who, after being terminated, lash out at their employers and coworkers in violent ways. That’s why it is important to follow a plan of action during a termination meeting. Here are some tips on how to minimize violence during these difficult situations: Remove any dangerous objects in […]

May Is Healthy Vision Month—Screen Time May Be ‘Ageing’ Workers’ Eyes

May is Healthy Vision Month, a good time to remind your employees of your vision-related benefits and eye protection and safety measures, as well as precautions they can take to maintain their own eye health. Unfortunately, says the Vision Council, the modern day workspace is far from “eye-gonomic,” and day-long use of computers, combined with personal use […]

Audio Conference to Answer FLSA Overtime and Classification Questions

Companies large and small are getting hit with FLSA-related judgments and settlements. On April 4, Attorney Nancy M. Cooper will tell you how you can keep this from happening to you. Few laws have caused American employers as much consternation as the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA.) Passed in 1938 as a simple measure to […]

Senate Report Outlines Possible Approaches for Health Care Reform

If you or your organization has a keen interest in health care reform, a key Senate committee has opened a short window of opportunity for you to have your say. The Senate Finance Committee released a report on Monday, May 18, outlining possible approaches to financing comprehensive health care reform. The full document is available […]

News Notes: EEOC Settles Genetic Testing Case

The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad Company will pay $2.2 million to settle a genetic testing lawsuit filed by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The EEOC charged that Burlington Northern conducted genetic testing as part of a medical exam required of employees who had filed work-related carpal tunnel syndrome claims. Burlington Northern agreed […]

Can tribunal rule on harassment complaint if alleged harasser works for different employer?

by Lorene Novakowski The British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal had no jurisdiction to hear a complaint where the alleged harasser was employed by a different employer than the alleged victim. The alleged harasser was not in a position of control over the complainant even though they worked at the same site. So the complaint was […]

Employment Benefits: Retiree Sues HP Over Product Discount Program

When you offer employee perks, it’s critical to make clear whether the program is a vested benefit or a company bonus that is subject to change or cancellation. Former Hewlett-Packard engineer Mark G. Leonard is suing the high-tech giant, claiming that it cancelled a program to provide thousands of retirees lifetime rebates on its products, […]

Employer Reporting: New EEO-1 Form Finalized

For the first time in four decades, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has made big changes to the EEO-1 Report, which provides the government with workforce profiles by ethnicity, race, and gender, divided into job categories. According to the EEOC, the new format “recognizes the shifting demographics of today’s workplace” and will provide […]

Wage and Hour: IBM Will Pay $65 Million to Settle Overtime Suit

IBM has agreed to pay $65 million to settle a class action lawsuit charging the computer firm with misclassifying employees as exempt from overtime. In particular, the suit alleges, IBM incorrectly classified technical services professionals and information technology specialists as exempt, even though those positions don’t qualify for exemption under California or federal wage and […]