Tag: Employment law

Ringing in 2014: It’s time to take a look at your policies and employee handbook

by Jeanine Poole The turn of the year is often a good time to review company policies. We’re weighing in with some favorite perennial professional resolutions and perhaps a few new suggestions that might make for a happy 2014.  What’s in a policy? In the employment world, issues involving e-mail, the Internet, and social media […]

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OSHA compliance planning calendar

by John E. Hall Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and standards include numerous training, posting, or other compliance actions that are required annually or at other regular intervals. There are a number of issues you should consider for your compliance planning calendars, including: A facility with employees who have occupational exposure to blood […]

A holiday gift from the NLRB to employees

by Lauren E.M. Russell This has been a year of radical decisions from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), nearly all of them favoring employees. With the appointment of a new General Counsel, the Board is poised to continue its current trend of invalidating long-accepted employer practices.  New General Counsel The NLRB recently announced that […]

Looking into the crystal ball of immigration reform

by Elaine Young In October, Democrats in the House of Representatives released H.R. 15, their comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) bill. The bill essentially mirrors S. 744, which the Senate passed earlier this year. Meanwhile, House Republicans proposed a series of bills that addresses components of immigration reform (e.g., border security and agricultural and highly skilled […]

New occupational health and safety awareness training to be required in Ontario

By Patrick Gannon Occupational health and safety legislation in all provinces across Canada places the ultimate responsibility for occupational health and safety on employers. Among other things, Canadian employers have to provide certain information, instruction, and training to workers. Last month, Ontario took occupational health and safety training to a new level, announcing that Ontario […]

Tips for sorting out a few thorny employment discrimination questions

Employers face tough personnel decisions every day, and the threat of litigation makes the decision process even more problematic. Recently a group of attorneys tackled a couple of situations that present discrimination hazards–whether it’s too risky to reduce an older employee’s hours and whether it’s possible to lawfully check out an applicant’s workers’ compensation history.  […]

Robertson a sitting duck after controversial quotes released

Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson and his family are most likely not enjoying a Happy Happy Happy Holiday after his recent GQ interview hit newsstands. In the interview, Robertson is quoted as saying: “It seems like, to me, a vagina—as a man—would be more desirable than a man’s anus. That’s just me. I’m just thinking: […]

States challenge EEOC guidance on criminal background checks

by Joshua Wood The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency responsible for enforcing federal employment discrimination laws, periodically issues enforcement guidance to aid employers in complying with the laws it enforces. The guidance is usually published on the agency’s website at www.eeoc.gov and can be an indication of how the EEOC will interpret or […]

“I meant, are you in here for drugs?”

Drugs are no laughing matter, except of course when it comes to the referenced exchange between Charlie Sheen’s character and Jeannie Bueller in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Yet, when it comes to our celebrity news cycle, drug use is as prevalent as steroid use has become in baseball. The latest scandal involves Nigella Lawson, most […]