Tag: Employment law

Fire in the hole

Litigation Value: Fire in the Hole prank = potential assault and battery charges for Dwight (not to mention the dry cleaning bill); Toby’s awkwardly affectionate overtures to Nellie = fodder for a potential hostile work environment claim against the Human Resources Manager; and using the Dunder Code to hunt for the fake holy grail = priceless.  […]

Getting the interview right: Try out some new questions

by Tammy Binford It’s a rare HR professional who hasn’t struggled with the question, “How can I make certain I’m getting the most useful information during job interviews?” Asking insightful questions goes a long way toward addressing the problem, but figuring out just what to ask can be tricky. Will a particular question elicit a […]

Employer social media policies and employee off-duty conduct

Employees’ postings on social media have been  called “online water-cooler talk,” essentially comparing it to office gossip. But most HR professionals have had to learn one big difference the hard way. Water-cooler talk doesn’t leave a permanent record, and social media does.  One way the two do compare is the common topic of supervisors. Unfortunately, […]

New FCRA forms for background checks

by Kara E. Shea Do you use a third-party service to conduct background checks on job applicants or employees? If so, then you should take note of the new forms you are required to use for that purpose, effective January 1. The “new” forms originally were issued last year but had to be revised because […]

Even more mysteries of mitigation

By Michel Bellemare Last fall, we reported on the mysteries of mitigation. Those articles (“When do employees have a duty to mitigate termination claim?” and “More mysteries of mitigation”) reported on the Ontario Court of Appeal’s decision in Bowes v. Goss Power Products Ltd. that confirmed that the duty to mitigate doesn’t necessarily apply where […]

Dead fish

Seriously, where is Andy Bernard? I’m worried about him. And his relationship with Erin. And Pete too. I’m not sure what a Pennsylvania court might say, but under Iowa law, Andy could presumably fire Pete simply because his girlfriend is attracted to him. See Nelson v. Knight (Iowa 2012) (dentist’s wife forced dentist to fire […]

Creative leaders for the 21st century: Who are they, how can you find them?

Human resources professionals have been tackling 21st century challenges for better than a decade. But determining just how a bombardment of change affects leadership, innovation, and creativity sometimes get lost in the effort to keep up with an array of dizzying developments. Research exists, though, that can help focus HR’s thinking. Creative Age leadership Employee […]

flu

Flu shot policy brings potential liability

by Karen Gwinn Clay Q Our management team wants to mandate that every employee get a flu shot. I know there will be resistance from our employees on differing grounds (religious belief, fear, and the like). Help! A Unless an employee is in a health care setting, this is a difficult call. For hospitals, nursing […]

How 2012 election results will affect HR in 2013, part 2

by David S. Fortney Previously, we took a look at how the Office of Federal Contact Compliance Programs and the Department of Labor will operate under the second term of President Barack Obama. In this post, we look at what the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) have coming […]

Implementing a Mandatory Flu Shot Policy: What Every Employer Should Know

By: Sarah Swank Credit: Ober|Kaler Published: January 16, 2013 In 2009, concerns about a swine flu pandemic convinced some employers to consider requiring employees to be vaccinated. Now that we are in the midst of another flu epidemic, some employers are once again weighing the costs and benefits of a mandatory flu shot policy. In […]