Month: September 2011

Drum Roll, Please

To prepare us for next week’s season premiere of The Office, NBC concludes the summer rerun schedule with a replay of last season’s finale. The intrigue and chicanery surrounding the search committee’s efforts have been well documented in prior posts dating back to the spring. And, my fellow bloggers and I have thoroughly vetted both […]

IRS Eases Cell Phone Substantiation for Employers

Bad news for people who think cell phones cause brain cancer, but good news for employers who think IRS’ old substantiation rules on cell phones were causing brain damage and stomach ulcers. The IRS provided some long-anticipated relief to employers that provide cell phones to their employees for business use, as well as to the employees who once […]

Four ECN Blogs Make LexisNexis Top 25 Listing

Four employment law blogs published by law firms that are part of the Employers Counsel Network (ECN) have been named to the LexisNexis Top 25 Labor and Employment Law Blogs of 2011. Those making the list are: Delaware Employment Law Blog, published by Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP, which writes the Delaware Employment Law […]

Sex Harassment: 5 Things Supervisors Need to Do to Prevent It

In yesterday’s Advisor, attorney Jonathan A. Segal presented 25 harassing behaviors to avoid; today, his instructions for supervisors and managers, plus an introduction to an easy-to-use and hard-to-fool checklist-based HR audit system. Segal, who is one of SHRM’s most popular speakers, is a partner in the Philadelphia office of law firm Duane Morris LLP. His […]

The 4-Page Mini-SPD: Coming to a Plan Near You

Health care reform is still alive and kicking. Employer-sponsored health plans have implemented many of its thorny provisions, but one provision now looks like the biggest thorn of all. We are talking about Section 2715 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). You must, of course, know all about this section … no? […]

NLRB’s New Required Poster Available

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has released the newly mandated poster it says is necessary to inform employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The Board issued the final rule requiring most private-sector employers to display the poster on August 25, and it must be in place by November 14. […]

Quick Hiring Decisions Can Backfire

Are you a buyer rather than a shopper? You may fit this mold if you know precisely what you want, go directly to it on the store shelves, grab it, and head immediately for the cash register. While this strategy may make for efficient purchasing, it can also make for disastrous hiring.

Harassment Still a Major Worry? You Betcha

It’s amazing that in 2011 we’re still talking about harassment, says “recovering litigator” Jonathan A. Segal, but it’s still causing massive lawsuits and destroying productivity. And training managers and supervisors is still the key to preventing it. Segal, who is one of SHRM’s most popular speakers, is a partner in the Philadelphia office of law […]

Timing of the Essence: Firing for Misusing 20 Minutes of Leave Was Unfair, Appeals Court Says

An employer’s desire to quickly fire an employee can drag it into violating labor laws. Recently, the firing of an employee for misusing 20 minutes of family medical leave led to conclusions that the firing was retaliation for union activity. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia decided to uphold an NLRB […]