Author: David McDonald

Looking to hire former service members? Veterans offer advice, encouragement

As Veterans Day approaches, the nation looks at ways to honor those who have served in the military. But honors alone don’t get former service members employed once they re-enter the civilian world. So employers need not just an understanding of the legal requirements related to employing or reemploying veterans; they also need to understand […]

Prevent, don’t just pardon, manterrupting

by Dinita L. James As a woman who has been in the workplace for nearly 35 years, I have a lot of experience with being interrupted by men. I also have experienced many times a phenomenon in which I make a point or share an idea in a meeting that does not appear to catch […]

Friend or foe: illegal or inappropriate interview questions

by Michelle Dougherty Asking illegal or inappropriate interview questions is one of the easiest ways for an employer to create a risk for discrimination claims. It isn’t unusual for polite, friendly, personal, non-job-specific conversation to be part of the interview process. However, when conducting an interview, you must always be aware that even indirect or […]

EEOC says sexual orientation is protected under Title VII

by Courtney Bru The last few years have seen a dramatic expansion of rights on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court found unconstitutional the heterosexual definitions of “marriage” and “spouse” in the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). And earlier this year, the Court found same-sex marriage […]

Policing the profiler: Ageist stereotypes exposed

by Robert Kaiser There is a common belief in the marketplace that it’s harder to find a job if you are over 50. However, it’s difficult to establish whether that’s true, and there are many advantages to hiring a mature employee. But a recent case decided by the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals (whose […]

Minimum salary requirements key to analysis of proposed FLSA overtime regs

by Robert P. Tinnin, Jr. Under the newly proposed overtime regulations for the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the most significant changes are to the minimum salary threshold that must be met for an employee to qualify as exempt. It’s important to understand what types of compensation are included in determining whether “minimum threshold salary” […]

Judge strikes down St. Louis minimum wage increase

St. Louis employers aren’t facing a phased-in $11 minimum wage now that a state judge has struck down a local ordinance that would have given the city a higher minimum wage than the rest of Missouri. The current minimum wage in Missouri is $7.65 per hour, 40 cents higher than the federal minimum wage of […]

Late time cards a headache but no reason to withhold pay

You’d think employees would be eager enough for their paychecks that they would make sure to turn in time sheets promptly. But that’s not always the case, and employers may be tempted to withhold pay as a not-so-gentle reminder for workers to submit their hours on time. That’s temptation best avoided, though, according to attorneys […]

Smell the roses: Focus on your career’s journey, not the destination

by Dan Oswald For each of us, our career is a journey. It can take us many places. We may change locations, employers, or even professions. And each experience we have along the way provides us with knowledge we can use at some point in the future—what to do differently or what not to do. […]