Month: September 2010

Solis, Ledbetter Promote Paycheck Fairness Act in DOL Webcast

This morning, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis hosted a live webcast promoting the passage of and fielding audience questions about the Paycheck Fairness Act (PFA). The webcast, which featured Lilly Ledbetter as cohost, emphasized the current administration’s efforts to eliminate wage discrimination while promoting wage transparency in the workplace, noting that passage of the PFA […]

HHS Approves Almost 2,000 Early Retiree Reinsurance Program Applications

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced that almost 2,000 employers were accepted into the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program created by the health care reform legislation. These employers will start receiving reimbursements for employee claims from the program this fall. The approved applicants represent the broad spectrum of the economy, including […]

Foreign Employee Working at Canadian Affiliate Entitled to Large Severance

By Bruce Grist and Derek Knoechel The transfer of employees from foreign-based companies to Canadian-based affiliates is an increasingly common feature of the Canadian labor market. Many employers are familiar with the often complicated process of obtaining the necessary work permits for such employees at the beginning of the transfer. However, ending the relationship between […]

Casual or Seductive? Drawing the Line in Your Dress Code

Skimpy, see-through, midriff-baring, clothing with tattoos and piercings? How do you draw the line? In yesterday’s Advisor, we laid out the legal issues around dress codes. Today we’ll look at best practices for dress code policies, and introduce a unique program just for those in smaller HR departments. In general, an employer’s most prudent approach […]

Hot List: Wall Street Journal’s Bestselling Hardcover Business Books

The following is a list of the bestselling hardcover business books as ranked by the Wall Street Journal with data from Nielsen BookScan on September 20. 1. StrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup’s Now, Discover Your Strengths by Tom Rath. Are you unsure where your true talents lie? […]

Nine Years Later: Religion and National Origin in the Workplace

For a week, the nation’s news reporters were captivated by a Florida preacher’s plans to burn the Quran on the anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Although he ultimately backed down, his campaign and the heated debates and protests over planned mosques near ground zero and in other parts of the country have drawn […]

Financial Reform’s Hidden Surprise: Diversity Requirements

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (also known as “financial reform” or “the Wall Street bill”) made headlines when President Barack Obama signed it into law on July 21. However, many employers probably don’t realize the legislation contains diversity provisions that could affect them if they are contractors, subcontractors, or service providers […]

Ninth Circuit Again Allows EEOC to Pursue Navajo-Preference Claim

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 allows employers on or near an Indian reservation to give preferential treatment to Indians living in the vicinity. But the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) takes the position that this provision doesn’t permit preference for members of a particular tribe. In the continuing saga of a […]