Month: February 2015

Solid job descriptions can ease ADA worries

Good job descriptions are vital in keeping employers and employees on the same page, but they take on added importance when an employee with a disability needs help being productive. And for employers facing disability discrimination claims, job descriptions that clearly outline the essential and nonessential functions of the job can be crucial.  Although the […]

Which comes first—the Apple or the egg?

by Mark I. Schickman Gender discrimination has been illegal for barely 50 years. Soon after the nondiscrimination law was passed, companies had to figure out how to address the gender gap and remedy the dearth of women in the workforce—especially in high-level career positions. Providing liberal leave benefits, on-site child care, women’s mentoring programs, and […]

Avoiding reverse disability discrimination claims

by Andy Rodman Q As part of my company’s diversity efforts, I would like to reach out to some disability advocate groups to try to fill a few vacant positions. I’m afraid that by doing so, I may be opening up the company to reverse discrimination claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Are […]

Tribal hiring preference not national origin discrimination

by Nancy Williams 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) has taken the position that this provision doesn’t permit preference for members of a particular tribe. In the […]

QLACs ‘Pension-ize’ Defined Contribution Plans

Qualifying lifetime annuity contracts in July 2014 became another option for defined contribution plan sponsors to offer to assist with retirement income security when the U.S. Treasury Department and IRS issued final regulations allowing them. Now, plan sponsors and participants near retirement age face some confusing choices when considering whether QLACs are right for their […]

Bill Making Transit Parity Permanent to Be Introduced

A bill to restore parity between mass transit and qualified parking benefits will be introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., she announced Feb. 10. The limits, dictated by tax Code Section 132, have been unequal since that part of the tax Code was written, although Congress several times […]

‘Transparent’ brings gender identity issues to forefront

Amazon’s streaming series Transparent follows Maura Pfefferman (born Morton Pfefferman and played by Jeffrey Tambor of Arrested Development fame), a retired political science professor and parent of three adult children, as she finally reveals to her family that she has always identified as a woman. The show’s creator, Jill Soloway, was inspired by her own father, who came out […]

Leadership Lessons from the Great Communicator

If you are like me and are interested in politics, you know Ronald Reagan was considered the “Great Communicator.” His effectiveness as a communicator was often credited to his career in radio, television, and movies. His detractors often said of his oratory skills, “He’s just up there acting.” But to me, Reagan’s effectiveness as a […]