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.

Obama Outlines Health Care Reform Plan; Final Senate Bill Close to Completion

Since Congress returned from its recess this week, all eyes and attention have returned to health care reform. A framework for a potential bipartisan health care reform bill was made public this week. And President Barack Obama addressed a joint session of Congress, outlining his plan for health care reform, though Republicans generally remain wary […]

OSHA to Inspect Nearly 4,000 Work Sites Under 2009 Program

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced on September 4 that it will perform comprehensive safety inspections at nearly 4,000 high-hazard workplaces. These inspections are part of OSHA’s Site-Specific Targeting 2009 (SST-09) program, which helps direct enforcement resources to the types of workplaces that have the highest rate of injuries and illnesses. OSHA will […]

So You Think Your E-Mail Is Really Deleted?

What are the chances that you can ever erase an e-mail? No chance, says Attorney Matthew Effland.  When you send e-mail, it’s saved in many places, most of which you can’t access. For example, Effland says, your e-mail is likely stored in: Your computer’s cache and e-mail outbox, Your e-mail service provider’s computers and/or corporate […]

Do Employees Have a Right to Privacy?

It used to be easy, says Attorney Matthew Effland. If you spotted someone reading on the job, you just told them to go back to work. Now, they have headphones on—are they listening to an audio conference on HR compliance, music that relaxes them, or a digital book? Unfortunately, you are going to have people […]

New Haven Firefighters’ Case: A Perfect Storm?

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady Readers Don’t Agree About New Haven Firefighters Tests? Two weeks ago we ran my column about the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the New Haven firefighters’ case. (The justices overruled lower court decisions, holding that the city was wrong when it refused to use the results of a […]

Avoidance Discrimination—Silent, Subtle, Dangerous

Four men and a woman are at an out-of-town sales meeting. The men decide to go to a strip club, but because they don’t want to be guilty of harassment, they don’t invite the woman. "And they are right, there is no harassment, but there is discrimination," says Attorney Jonathan Segal. Or take a similar […]

Mental Health Parity Changes Take Effect January 1, 2010

It’s time for employers to examine their health benefits to see if they’re in compliance with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Act of 2008, which takes effect on January 1, 2010. The law applies to most employers with more than 50 employees. It requires covered employers that offer a health insurance plan with mental […]

Subordinate Dating: ‘Most Dangerous Workplace Activity’

What about supervisors asking subordinates for dates? “It’s not recommended, in fact, it’s the most dangerous action in the workplace,” says Attorney Jonathan Segal. Segal’s remarks came as part of his “Harassment Quiz” at SHRM’s recent Annual Convention and Exposition in New Orleans. Segal is a partner in the Philadelphia office of law firm Duane […]