Archives

When opportunity knocks

by Dan Oswald Abraham Lincoln once said, “I will prepare and some day my chance will come.” And for Lincoln, the opportunities did come in large part because he created them. He was known for his hard work and determination. But it all started with two things: his willingness to prepare and his understanding that […]

‘Foreseeable’ and ‘As Soon as Practicable”–2 of FMLA’s Key Concepts

FMLA—always rated the number one headache (well, migraine) for HR managers. Learning the definitions of “foreseeable” and “as soon as practicable” helps lessen the pain. When Leave Is Foreseeable When the need for leave is foreseeable, the law requires that employees provide their employers with at least 30 days’ advance notice before FMLA is to […]

Another NLRB recess appointment ruled invalid

Nearly four months after an appeals court ruled that recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) made in 2012 were invalid, another appellate court has ruled a previous recess appointment unconstitutional. The U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled May 16 in NLRB v. New Vista Nursing & Rehab. that President Barack Obama’s […]

New ADA Compliance Guidance Covers Cancer, Diabetes, Epilipsy and Intellectual Disabilities

The agency responsible for enforcing the Americans with Disabilities has revised several of its guidance documents to reflect recent changes to the law. The May 15 changes were necessary because of the ADA Amendments Act, which expanded the law’s coverage in 2009, the U.S said in a press release. The documents explain how ADA applies […]

PTO Policy OK? 11 Questions You Need to Answer

Unfortunately, to complicate matters, many state laws (and some city laws) cover sick time and/or vacation time, so proceed with caution, says Marques, an associate in the New York office of Holland & Knight LLP. She offered her tips at a recent webinar sponsored by BLR® and HR Hero®. PTO Policy Decisions Are Important Policy […]

Gender Pay Gaps—Which Occupations Are Worst?

Pat Shiu, Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, was joined for the chat by Latifa Lyles, Acting Director of the Women’s Bureau (WB), and Jennifer Hunt, chief economist at the Department of Labor (DOL). [Go here for yesterday’s questions and answers] Question from Annalyn Kurtz: In what occupations is the pay gap […]

OFCCP on Pay Equality: ‘We Must Do More’

Latifa Lyles, Acting Director of the Women’s Bureau (WB), noted that today, full-time female workers earn on average only 81 percent of what their male counterparts earn. For African-American females and Latinas, the wage ratio is substantially lower: 68 cents and 59 cents, respectively. But the real cost of the pay gap is more than […]

Canada’s temporary foreign worker program set to change

By Thora A. Sigurdson Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) has been under fire of late. Temporary foreign workers sued Denny’s. Latin American tunnel diggers brought a human rights complaint against SELI. A British Columbia union complained that miners from China were taking jobs in northern B.C. And the Royal Bank’s decision to contract out […]

Age diversity becoming new priority for employers

The statistics don’t lie. More people are planning to work beyond what once was a traditional retirement age. The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has projected that the primary working-age group—those ages 25-54—will decline from 66.9 percent of the labor force in 2010 to 63.7 percent in 2020. Workers 55 and older are projected […]

She works hard for the money

by Kylie Crawford TenBrook Several years ago, I attended a celebration for one of my brothers, who had just become an Eagle Scout. Several relatives were there, including some distant relatives I hadn’t seen in years. One of those distant relatives, who is close to my age, approached me, and the following exchange took place. […]