Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady A warm “Thank you” to the 2,800 HRDA readers who responded to our recent survey concerning the effect of the economic slump on your organizations and your departments! Here’s a summary of the results. Smaller Businesses Hit Hardest While the slumping economy is hurting businesses of all sizes, […]
We earlier reported on a ruling by a California Court of Appeal in Los Angeles that a new law broadening California’s disability bias statutes, effective Jan. 1, 2001, was a major change that could not be applied retroactively. Now a different appeals court in Los Angeles has come to the opposite conclusion, holding that the […]
Nonunion public school teachers are required to pay “fair share” union fees in return for benefits they receive from collective bargaining. In return, the union must give these teachers a written explanation concerning the basis for the fee. Eight nonunion teachers who did not receive an adequate fee notice sued school district superintendents, claiming that […]
In yesterday’s Advisor, we saw Jill’s mistakes disciplining Jack; today, more that can go wrong, plus an introduction to a unique guide for smaller—or even one-person—HR departments. Jill fired Jack, but hadn’t followed policy, hadn’t been consistent, and had little documentation. Jack sued. What else could go wrong? Plenty. [Go here for Jill’s story] ‘Evidence’ […]
A San Bernardino jury’s $1.45 million verdict for a disabled employee underscores the importance of making sure that physical agility tests actually measure the ability to perform essential job functions. Judy Tousignant was a part-time juvenile hall counselor for San Bernardino County for eight years. In a physical agility test required for promotion to a […]
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released a report showing that states can improve access to behavioral health services for residents by expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. “Substance use disorders and mental illness are prevalent and serious public health problems in American communities,” the HHS says in a press […]
You should encourage and manage diversity in your workplace — not because it’s politically correct (and the right thing to do), but because it helps you improve and maintain your competitive advantage. Today’s fast-paced business world and ever-changing technology have taken employers beyond traditional boundaries, sometimes forcing you to adjust to differences in culture quickly. […]
As the government fulfills its promise to create an essential benefit package, employers can be forgiven for thinking the government’s putting a competitor plan out there to lure plan members away from employer-sponsored plans. And it is tempting for them to just say: “Fine! You asked for it; no more funding health benefits!” But paradoxically […]
A new study from Duke University has found that obese workers file more workers’ compensation claims, have higher costs from those claims, and lose more days of work than non-obese workers.