Tag: news

Training Can Help Close Economy-Related Skills Gaps

In a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) poll, 66 percent of respondents reported having a hard time recruiting for specific job openings, up from 52 percent in 2011. “The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Recruiting and Skills Gaps” found that recruiting challenges vary by industry, but highly skilled positions—scientists, engineers, technicians, programmers, nurses, doctors, and […]

Illinois court makes noncompete agreements harder to enforce

by Steven L. Brenneman In a decision handed down June 24, the Illinois Appellate Court, First District, found a restrictive covenant unenforceable because of a lack of adequate consideration (something given in return for the employee’s agreement not to compete). The court ruled there must be at least two years of continued employment to constitute […]

U.S. Supreme Court finds DOMA provision unconstitutional, dismisses Proposition 8 case

It came as no great surprise that the U.S. Supreme Court withheld its opinion on two landmark decisions on same-sex marriage rights until the last decision day of the 2012-2013 term. This, however, would be the only lack of surprise of the day, as the Court delivered two opinions that significantly change the landscape for […]

Court sets bar high for employer retaliation claims

In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court made its second pro-employer decision of the day in a case involving the standard of proof an employee must meet in retaliation claims. In University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center v. Nassar, the question was whether an employee must prove that the only reason his employer retaliated […]

High court agrees to hear NLRB recess appointments case

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal in Noel Canning v. NLRB. In the Noel Canning case, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that three of President Barack Obama’s so-called recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) were unconstitutional. Without the three appointees, the […]

Training Advances Corporate Responsibility in the Community

In an effort to advance its campaign against human trafficking, Hyatt (www.hyatt.com) recently launched an internal global training program to raise awareness about this issue. The program was developed in conjunction with the Polaris Project (www.polarisproject.org), an organization dedicated to combating human trafficking. “The program is designed to provide managers and line staff at Hyatt […]

Virginia’s new worker privacy law takes effect July 1

by Stacey Rose Harris A new state law in Virginia aimed at increasing worker privacy takes effect July 1. It bars employers from being required to disclose to third parties current and former employees’ personally identifiable information except under certain circumstances. The law, House Bill 1931, says employers can’t be required to disclose the personally […]

Colorado law restricting use of credit checks takes effect July 1

by Mark Wiletsky Colorado employers need to make sure their background check policies comply with the state’s Employment Opportunity Act, which takes effect July 1. The new law bans employers from obtaining and using credit history information when evaluating applicants and employees. Certain jobs are exempt from the prohibition, but the exemptions are very narrow. […]

Are You Using PowerPoint Effectively in Your Training?

Before you sit down to create a PowerPoint presentation, think about how much of the chosen safety topic you want to cover. In many cases you won’t have time to go over everything in just one presentation. So, make a prioritized list of the key points and narrow your scope as necessary to fit the […]