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“I Want To See My File”

Being an employer in California comes with all sorts of headaches. And one that probably makes you reach for the ibuprofen at least as often as any other – if not more – is the recordkeeping headache. Plus, as if the seemingly nonstop paperwork and report filing aren’t enough, sometimes you have to deal with […]

Dress Code Considerations for a Diverse Workforce

By Carolyn A. Wade Society’s standards (or lack thereof) regarding clothing and grooming have certainly changed over the last 50 years. Taking a trip on an airplane used to mean “dressing up” and wearing the kind of clothes you would wear to church ― a suit and tie or a dress and heels. Now people […]

Lawmakers Try to Address Workplace Gender Identity Issues

Gender identity disorder is a medically recognized condition in which a person’s gender identity doesn’t match his genetic sex. In some cases, the recommended standard of care is counseling and sex reassignment therapy, which includes representing yourself as the gender corresponding to your identity, hormone replacement therapy, and, eventually, gender reassignment surgery. Although federal law […]

Egyptian Copt Claims Race and National Origin Discrimination

Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, you are prohibited from discriminating against individuals based on several protected classes, including race and national origin. In the following case, an Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) physician claimed that his ethnicity and national origin prompted the revocation of his hospital privileges. Read on to learn […]

A Look at America’s Disabled Population as the ADA Turns 21

July 26 will mark the 21st anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which guarantees equal opportunity for people with disabilities in public accommodations, commercial facilities, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications. Here are some statistics about disabled Americans from the U.S. Census Bureau: There are 36 million disabled […]

Canadian Court Broadly Defines ‘Constructor’ in Safety Case

By Rosalind Cooper Which party on a construction project is the “constructor”? While some provinces in Canada use this term, other provinces use slightly different terms, such as prime contractor. All are meant to refer to the party at the workplace that has overall responsibility for health and safety on the construction project. It’s generally […]

Why Do Traditional Wellness Programs Fail?

Many wellness programs fail, say experts Lynda F. Jeppesen & Travis Dent, but there is a way to design a program that gets maximum involvement, great payback, and widespread employee appreciation. Jeppesen and Dent made their comments at the SHRM Annual Conference and Exhibition held recently in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jeppesen, who is SPHR certified, […]

9 Ways to Reduce FMLA Leave Abuse

We know that FMLA is one of your biggest HR headaches. And intermittent leave abuse just makes your job that much tougher. It’s a problem to be sure, but there is good news. We’ve tallied up the top 9 ways you can limit leave abuse at your company, all while staying compliant. Go to Tip […]

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You Can’t Reason with Crazy

Try this one on for size. A number of years ago, four to be exact, we were enjoying a successful relationship with a company we had contracted with since 1995. By all accounts, the firm was doing a good job for us. In 2007, one of the key people employed by the firm decided to […]

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Former Employee Keeps Reapplying Despite Rejection Letters

by Reggie Gay Q: We have a job applicant who worked for us approximately six years ago. There’s nothing negative in her file, but there were some issues with her job performance. Neither of her former supervisors wants to hire her back. She has applied several times and has received rejection letters, but she keeps […]