Category: HR Management & Compliance

There are dozens of details to take care of in the day-to-day operation of your department and your company. We give you case studies, news updates, best practices and training tips that keep your organization fully in compliance with ever-changing employment law, and you fully aware of emerging HR trends.

Marijuana

Connecticut’s Workplace Protections for Medical Marijuana Trump Federal Law

Employees and job applicants are now further protected from employment discrimination based on their legal use of medical marijuana under Connecticut state law. Recently, a federal district court judge determined that marijuana’s illicit status under federal law doesn’t preempt Connecticut’s explicit workplace protections for the use of medical marijuana.

inclusion

Seeking Diversity? Step 1 Means Attracting Diverse Candidates

As employers are increasingly striving to build diversity in their workplaces, recruiting for diversity is taking center stage. Having a diverse workforce as a goal requires making sure hiring managers and recruiters are committed to the organization’s objective.

bully

Combating Workplace Violence: What OSHA Has to Say

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has no standard or regulation specifically addressing workplace violence, but employers’ responsibility to address violence is covered under the General Duty Clause of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. And that means employers need to be ready for the agency’s inspection and enforcement efforts.

harassment

Training to Prevent Sexual Harassment Suits

A substitute school custodian said she was pressured to have sex with a foreman in exchange for more hours and then retaliated against for refusing his advances and lodging a sexual harassment complaint. This case demonstrates the importance of training employees and supervisors on sexual harassment prevention and on protocols for reporting harassment.

gender gap

Going Against the Grain: Worker Fired After Unequal Pay Complaint

The U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals—which covers Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota—recently reversed an Arkansas district court’s dismissal of a former employee’s retaliation claim against a grain company under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Pay Act (EPA), and the Arkansas Civil Rights Act.

age discrimination

Was CEO’s ‘New Face’ Comment a Mask for Age Discrimination?

“Peter,” a senior information technology (IT) director of a retail order fulfillment company, was terminated when his position was eliminated in an IT department restructuring. Was the CEO’s statement that the company wanted a “new face” enough for Peter to establish direct evidence of age discrimination?

fired

Retaliation—The Marcia Brady of Employment Law

Everywhere employers turn, there’s another retaliation claim being made against them under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), or another state or federal statute. Here’s yet another one.