Month: May 2015

Mad Men ends: What have we learned?

The seven-season-long nonstop drink-and-smoke-a-thon that was Mad Men has come to a close. Were you entertained? Were you satisfied? Better yet, did you learn anything? I will spare you my personal thoughts on the merits of the ending as there are countless commentaries available on the Web. (Really, it’s amazing how many there are.) Suffice it to […]

That Woman on the Restroom Door—Who Is She Really?

Maybe you’ve never thought about those traditional restroom icons—the man in the pants and the woman in the skirt—but they are actually a hot topic in today’s workplace. These traditional icons not only leave out transgendered employees but they are also seen as depicting women in a stereotypical way by using the skirt as a […]

Talent, drive, and success cannot be dictated by age

by Dan Oswald I recently wrote that we shouldn’t overlook the contributions the younger generation can make. In business, we often assume that experience equates with success and therefore conclude it’s unlikely that a 20-something can make a significant contribution. I think that’s complete hogwash, but so is assuming people can’t have a major career […]

Executive Exemption: Who Qualifies?

Executive Exemption: Who Qualifies? President Obama made the news recently with a proposal to change the rules on who must be paid overtime. What rule is under consideration here, and what are the implications for employers?

Changes coming to union certification process for federally regulated employers

by Daniel Mayer On June 16, important changes regarding union certification and decertification for federally regulated employers in Canada will come into effect. The federally regulated sector includes interprovincial and international transportation companies, airlines, railways, banks, and employees who work for the federal government.

Risk or reward? Ex-offenders present challenge to employers

In a quest for workforce diversity, employers go to great lengths to reach out to people of various races, ethnicities, genders, ages, and backgrounds. But they’re not so likely to reach out to those who have spent time in prison. Yet employers often express a desire to be good corporate citizens that “give back” to […]

Employers risk damages, civil money penalties for improper I-9 and E-Verify procedures

by Mary Pivec Employers face a high cost if they are accused of engaging in discriminatory employment verification procedures. The Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Discrimination (OSC) in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has made it a priority to pursue employers that allegedly misuse or abuse their access […]

Here come the feds! POTUS, DOJ, DOL, and EEOC weigh in on LGBT issues

by Geoffrey D. Rieder Significant expansion of the antidiscrimination protections afforded to members of the LGBT community was accomplished in 2014 through executive action by President Barack Obama, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and the attorney general (AG). The push for more protection of LGBT employees culminated in two lawsuits in which the Equal […]

Adverse employment action because of accent is illegal

by Joseph Cooper Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbids discrimination on the basis of national origin in any aspect of employment, including hiring, firing, and job assignments. Because an employee’s accent or language skills are often associated with her national origin, employment decisions based on those characteristics are scrutinized closely by […]