Month: April 2013

Bridging work permits for those awaiting permanent residence in Canada – finally!

By Gilda Villaran Immigration Canada announced a new policy on December 15, 2012, that allows for bridging work permits. Foreign nationals who are currently working in Canada and have applied for permanent residence (under certain programs) can now apply for such a permit. This will allow them to stay and work until their permanent residence […]

Facing the future: Growing numbers of workers with disabilities bring challenges, opportunities

by Tammy Binford A new study from business and research organization The Conference Board says that more than 10 percent of the U.S. population currently has some form of disability. Other research from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that disproportionate numbers of people with disabilities are either unemployed or working in jobs that pay low […]

Can I ask that question on a job application?

by Toni Everton An increasing number of unsuccessful job applicants are filing discrimination charges, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and state enforcement agencies are taking a close look at job applications for evidence of unlawful bias. So the question is, what can you ask on a job application? This article doesn’t contain an […]

Criminal and background reports as evidence in EEOC class actions

by Steven Collis In its first class action lawsuit challenging an employer’s use of criminal records, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ended up dropping its case against PeopleMark and getting socked with $750,000 in sanctions. Recently, the EEOC suffered another stinging loss when a federal court dismissed its discrimination case against Kaplan Higher Education […]

DOL releases toolkit to combat child and forced labor

The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Bureau of International Labor Affairs has released “Reducing Child Labor and Forced Labor: A Toolkit for Responsible Businesses,” the first guide developed by the U.S. government to help businesses combat child labor and forced labor in their global supply chains. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), worldwide there […]

Get interactive, rules federal appellate court

by Brandon Gearhart A recent decision from the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals (whose rulings apply to all Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee employers) illustrates the importance of the interactive process when making employment decisions about a disabled worker. The court returned a previously dismissed Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) claim to the lower […]

Tip for HR: Don’t Be a Management Tool

Special from SHRM’s Legal and Legislative Conference Tip for HR: Don’t Be a Management Tool In yesterday’s Advisor, SHRM’s top-rated speaker, attorney Jonathan Segal offered the first 10 of his “they won’t tell you but I will” principles. Today, 11 to 15, plus an introduction to the unique guide specially directed toward the smaller or […]

8 Proactive Steps to Stop Bullying

Special from SHRM’s Legal and Legislative Conference 8 Proactive Steps to Stop Bullying In yesterday’s Advisor, we featured attorney Allison West’s take on bullying in the workplace. Today, her guidance for dealing with the bully, plus an introduction to the all-HR-in-one-place website, HR.BLR.com. West, who is principal at Employee Practices Specialists in Pacifica, CA, delivered […]

7 Best Practices in FMLA Intermittent Leave Administration

While small increments of leave time under the Family and Medical Leave Act may cause administrative headaches, there are various tips and strategies on how to contend with time tracking issues and employee abuse of intermittent FMLA leave. The following discussion gives an of overview the steps you should take after you have received an […]

GAO Recommends DOL, IRS Reduce Plan-to-plan Rollover Barriers

Most of the money contributed to traditional individual retirement accounts comes from rollovers, but the choices involved in moving 401(k) savings to an IRA or from one employer-sponsored plan to another should be made easier and more efficient. That’s the finding of the  U.S. Government Accountability Office in its latest report, “401(K) Plans: Labor and […]