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Age Discrimination: New Case Examines Whether You Can Deny Older Workers Educational Assistance Benefits; Preventive Measures To Take

Suppose an employee in their 50s or 60s wants to take advantage of your employee educational assistance program. You may be reluctant to shell out thousands of dollars to educate a worker who’s close to retirement. One employer that faced this situation recently got slapped with an age discrimination lawsuit when an older worker’s request […]

Trade Secrets: Court Says Employer’s Insurance Policy Didn’t Cover Stolen Information; Are You Protected?

Employers take many steps to try to prevent the loss of trade secrets. You ask employees to sign nondisclosure agreements, implement security systems and train your workforce on how to keep information confidential. Despite your best efforts, a breach sometimes occurs and your trade secrets end up in a competitor’s hands. In a new case, […]

Technology: Can We Prevent Our Employees from Putting Up a Company Website Just for Employees?

Several of our employees have set up a website that is for information relating to our organization. They post all kinds of materials there, including ratings of bosses and departments, complaints, blog-like rants, and so on. And then, as well, they have a calendar, announcements, birthdays, and stuff like that. It’s becoming very popular with […]

News Flash: New OSHA Recordkeeping Rules

In the eleventh hour of the Clinton administration, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a spate of new regulations. These include a new form replacing the OSHA 200 injury and illness log and new rules for recording workplace injuries. The new form and rules are scheduled to take effect next year. However, President […]

HHS Solicits Comments on Essential Health Benefits

An important component of health reform implementation is the imposition of an “essential benefits” package (of health goods and services that insurers of groups and individuals must cover). Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), that benefit package will be de rigueur (1) for policies sold on exchanges and (2) insurers of small […]

Short Takes: Terminations

When an employee recently resigned from our company, giving two weeks’ notice, his manager told him to pack up and leave immediately and he wouldn’t be paid beyond that day. Effectively, he fired the employee as of that day. This didn’t sit right with me, but is it illegal?

New I-9 form effective April 3; H-1B visa deadline

Two important deadlines are approaching for HR. On April 3, employers must start using the new I-9 form. Initially the change was set to happen in February, but the Obama administration delayed it and other unimplemented regulations to allow time for further agency review. April 1 marks the beginning of the annual race for the […]

Internet Background Checks: Hazardous to Your Wealth?

Employers who hire based on doing their own online background checks could be looking at wrong information … and trouble. You think you’ve finally found the right candidate for that important job opening. The resume read like a good book, and one with a happy ending. The interview left the hiring manager looking starstruck. Now […]

Many Employees Plan to Work Past Normal Retirement Age

Almost 7 out of 10 American workers report that they plan to have a working retirement, working full- or part-time for pay past normal retirement age—and a full 12 percent say they believe they’ll never be able to retire. Another 14 percent say they want to work as volunteers in their golden years, and just […]