Author: Diversity Insight

From the ADA to returning soldiers to work: Richard Pimentel’s crusade for the disabled

From the ADA to returning soldiers to work Earlier this month, the country celebrated it’s 232rd birthday. We celebrated with fireworks, picnics, and parades to honor our veterans who have fought in wars past and the soldiers who are currently abroad fighting for our country. This month also marks the 18th anniversary of the Americans […]

Babson College proves it takes diversity seriously

As of last year, Babson College in Newton, Massachusetts, had two diversity managers, an assistant dean charged with increasing campus-wide inclusion, and a few HR professionals focused on diversity. But the college’s senior leaders decided that wasn’t enough. In March, they appointed Elizabeth Thornton to be Babson’s first chief diversity officer (CDO). “The senior leadership […]

The path to diversity: through a computer?

Could software solve your diversity problems? The National Science Foundation thinks so. The federal agency awarded a $450,000 Small Business Innovation Research grant to the Boulder, Colorado, tech firm OptTek Systems, which plans to build a software application that can improve an organization’s ability to strategically plan and manage its workforce. Issues such as limited […]

Wal-Mart to pay $300,000 to rejected applicant to settle disability discrimination lawsuit

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has announced that Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., had agreed to pay $300,000 to a Hardin, Missouri, man to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit. In addition, Wal-Mart agreed to provide training on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to managers at its Richmond store, notify job applicants about the settlement, and […]

Americans with Disabilities Act: Statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau

On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), guaranteeing equal opportunity for people with disabilities in public accommodations, commercial facilities, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications. Here are some statistics about America’s disabled population from the U.S. Census Bureau: There are 41.3 million […]

‘Willful’ Violations under FMLA Clarified

by Alyssa Yatsko Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), an employee has two years from the date of an FMLA violation to file a lawsuit against his employer. If the violation was “willful,” however, the employee has three years to file the lawsuit. Up until now, the Tenth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals […]

From My Cold, Dead Hands

You might have heard that the Supreme Court recently threw out the District of Columbia’s decades-long ban on handguns. Of course, there are limitations. If you are mentally insane or a convicted felon, then you’re out of luck. So, many of our favorites on The Office probably still can’t pack heat into the Capitol — […]

The Truth about Profiting from Social Networking

M. Lee Smith Web Editor Wendi Watts reviews the book The Truth about Profiting from Social Networking by Patrice-Anne Rutledge.  How to use Facebook and other social media websites to communicate with employees, customers, and coworkers. Regardless of whether you are a Facebook addict or are challenged to add an attachment to an email, if […]

Should Canadian Employers Give Employment References?

By Tina Giesbrecht and Lana Jackson McCarthy Tetrault Employers often ask whether they should give employment references to employees and former employees. This decision can be a difficult one with possible negative consequences for either course of action. Whatever decision is made, it’s important to consistently apply one policy regarding reference letters. Q. What are […]

HOT LIST: New York Times Bestselling Paperback Business Books

The following is a list of the bestselling paperback business books as ranked by the New York Times on July 14. 1. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell. How and why certain products and ideas become fads. 2. Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their […]