Author: West Virginia Employment Law Letter

5 ways to finish the year on a high note

by Jan L. Fox As you began 2015, you probably made resolutions and promised yourself you would do better in the new year. As 2015 comes to a close, it’s still not too late to improve your professional practice. Here are five things an HR manager can do to bring 2015 to a successful conclusion. […]

Age, sex, and sports media

Sports reporter Colleen Dominguez is 54 years old and has enjoyed a successful career in sports journalism including a lengthy stint at ESPN. Dominguez recently jumped to Fox Sports 1 and believes her age and gender are the only plausible reasons that FS1 has cut her broadcasting assignments and diminished her career. These are her allegations in […]

Managing the risks posed by distracted driving

by Carla Oliver We’ve all seen it. Maybe when looking around while stuck in stop-and-go traffic on a highway. Maybe when noticing that a car in front of us doesn’t move when the traffic light turns green. It’s the distracted driver—texting away on his or her handheld device instead of paying attention to the traffic […]

Keeping the news out of the workplace

by Mark I. Schickman Racial tensions in America have been dominating the news for several months. Not surprisingly, a new CBS/New York Times poll finds that over 60% of Americans believe that race relations in America are bad and getting worse—the highest percentage in 25 years.  Some responses to these statistics will argue that arrests […]

Managing performance: 3 radical ideas

by Michael P. Maslanka There are old and accepted ways of doing things, and there are new and bold ways. It’s your choice.  Are you thinking of changing your performance evaluation system? Are you tired of the meaningless nuance between a 3.5 and a 4.0 rating? Then pick up a copy of the April issue […]

Passing on disabled candidates for safety reasons is risky business

by Erica E. Flores Election season can bring out the best and worst in our nation. The important issues that should be the focus sometimes take a backseat to headline-grabbing one-liners. But true leaders emerge at some point in nearly every campaign. It remains to be seen which of this cycle’s large group of presidential […]

Policies designed to protect employees may do more harm than good

by Jeremy M. Brenner The law prohibits discrimination against employees and applicants based on a number of protected statuses. Employers often implement policies that are intended to benefit workers but actually cause illegal systemic discrimination. Unfortunately, no matter how genuine an employer’s good intentions are, they typically do not excuse it from discriminatory conduct. Read […]

Texas employers need to be ready for new open carry law

by Laurianne Balkum A new Texas law allowing individuals with a concealed handgun license to openly carry a gun in a shoulder or hip holster takes effect January 1, but many employers will find they are able to restrict the open carrying of handguns if they so desire. The new law allows individuals to openly […]

Behavioral interviewing: a way to get past ‘if only’

Human resources professionals may be excused for uttering the phrase “if only” at every step of the hiring process. If only the candidate pool were more promising. If only hiring managers were clearer about their needs. If only those hiring managers took their role in the interview process more seriously, giving it the time and […]