Archives

Hot List: Wall Street Journal’s Bestselling Hardcover Business Books

The following is a list of the bestselling hardcover business books as ranked by the Wall Street Journal with data from Nielsen BookScan. 1. StrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup’s Now, Discover Your Strengths by Tom Rath. Are you unsure where your true talents lie? Do you feel […]

FMLA Obligations for Pregnant and Nursing Mothers

In yesterday’s Advisor, we covered discrimination laws and pregnancy; today, FMLA and pregnancy, plus an introduction to an extraordinary collection of pre-written job descriptions, available on CD and ready for you to implement. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (ADA) applies regardless of how long an employee has worked for you. The federal Family and Medical Leave […]

Boeing’s Right to Relocate Some Operations to South Carolina before NLRB

Tuesday, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) will begin its unfair labor practice case against Boeing, insisting that the company may not move some of its operations from Washington to South Carolina because the move might somehow violate workers’ rights. The outcome of this case goes well beyond South Carolina, but it is vitally important […]

Canadian Decisions Blur Distinction between Employees and Independent Contractors

By Ralph Nero and Keri Bennett Employers in Canada have typically understood employees and independent contractors to fall into distinct legal categories. However, recent court and labor board decisions indicate that the traditional definition of “employee” continues to expand. Ontario court interprets health and safety obligations In Ontario (Labour) v. United Independent Operators Limited, Ontario’s […]

What to Expect When Your Employee Is Expecting

Pregnancy—a special event, for sure, but a challenging one for the employee’s manager and for HR. Managers need to get it right from the start, and, by the way, guess what, you’re not getting the jury’s sympathy. In 1978, Congress passed the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA), amending Title VII to prohibit employers from discriminating against […]

Civil Unions Available Now in Illinois, and Soon in Delaware

Employers in Illinois that have not done so may need to adjust their plan documents to reflect the new legality of civil unions in that state. Civil unions are legal in Illinois, Hawaii and New Jersey — and will be available in Delaware next year. The Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act went […]

Shaking the Opportunity Tree

Sometimes You Need to Shake the Opportunity Tree

I ran into a good friend the other day at our kids’ baseball game. After the usual pleasantries, he said, “I’m glad you’re here, we really need to talk.” So we moved away from the rest of the crowd and he began to tell me about an incredible opportunity that he had been presented. His […]

A Faulty Wellness Program Can Make Your Pocketbook Sick

Your wellness program is going well, with happier and healthier employees. But then, an employee sues the company alleging that the wellness program violates his rights. So your employees are healthier, but your company’s pocketbook is not in the best of condition, as it puts out money for legal fees. Do not let this happen […]