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.

HR CSI: When Should You Investigate?

The first flaw in investigations is that they often don’t take place, says attorney Jonathan Segal. Today, he offers a clear list of circumstances that demand an investigation. In tomorrow’s issue, he’ll tell you when you might not want to investigate. Segal, a partner in the Philadelphia office of the WolfBlock law firm, offered his […]

Utah Supreme Court Issues Major Workers’ Comp Ruling

In a very recent decision handed down by the Utah Supreme Court, the court has substantially limited the protections afforded to employers under the workers’ compensation statute. This decision involved an industrial accident at a Chevron refinery near Salt Lake City. According to the facts of the written opinion, Chevron tried a new, less expensive […]

Economy Affecting Workers’ Comp Leaves?

Headlines heralding ever-increasing job loss numbers may motivate workers already out with legitimate work-related injuries to try to extend their workers’ compensation benefits, especially if their positions have been, or will be, eliminated.

Employee Who Was ‘Too Good’ Prompts Passionate Responses

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady Can an employee do his or her job too well? It shouldn’t be so, if our story by Andy Andrews “Goodbye, Mr. Foster” is any indicator. When we reran the story on a supposedly “slow news day” (January 2), it still garnered a number of passionate responses. Who […]

Blunting the Two-Edged Sword of Self-Audits

Yesterday’s Advisor revealed the dangers of self-incrimination during self-audits; today, we discuss what to do about it, and we introduce you to a unique self-audit system. There are steps you can take to protect the self-critical analysis and attorney-client privileges discussed in yesterday’s Advisor. Here’s what we recommend: Use outside counsel, if at all possible, […]

Self-Audits—Dangerous Documents of Self-Incrimination?

Regular examination of HR practices is critical to ensure compliance and to minimize exposure to very expensive lawsuits. But it’s risky business. Collecting data about your workplace is an important part of HR management. For example, employers may want to scrutinize whom they classify as exempt, or may simply want to know how the organization […]

EEOC Releases Proposed GINA Regulations

On March 2, 2009, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) officially released the proposed regulations under the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA). GINA is intended to protect employees from discrimination by employers, employment agencies, labor unions, and insurers based on genetic information. The proposed regulations are designed to implement and provide further guidance […]

Invoking the Slippery ‘Affirmative Defense’ to Harassment

Yesterday’s Advisor covered the first three conditions that must be met to invoke an “affirmative defense” against harassment claims. Today we move on to the fourth condition, and bring you news about a unique tool that helps smaller HR departments with harassment—and the rest of HR’s major challenges. The fourth condition that must be met […]

Hot List: BusinessWeek’s Best Seller List

BusinessWeek magazine ranks the 15 best selling hardcover and paperback business books in March 2009 and gives a short summary. 1. Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell. As you’d expect with Gladwell, there are lots of surprises in his explanation of why some people succeed fantastically. Pluck and smarts get less play here […]