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Work hard, play hard work harder

As discussed in our previous blog post, the Richie Incognito-Jonathan Martin scandal has dominated the sports and national headlines. Lost somewhat in the midst of an Incognito-Martin-centric sports news cycle were the recent health scares of Denver Broncos coach John Fox and Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak during week 9 of the NFL season. Fox, […]

Colorado repeals state employment verification law

by Roger Tsai Colorado employers soon will be relieved of their obligation to complete and maintain the state employment verification affirmation form aimed at ensuring that new hires are legally eligible for employment in the United States. Governor John Hickenlooper signed the measure into law on June 8, and it will take effect August 10. […]

News Notes: Delay Tactics Cost Employer A Lot More Than Settlement Would Have

Journeyman painter Thelma Walker filed a sexual harassment and defamation lawsuit against the San Francisco housing authority and her former job site foreman. Over the next six months, the housing authority was smacked with court fines for repeatedly not responding to Walker’s discovery requests. Walker and the housing authority then tentatively agreed to a settlement […]

EEOC Claims Record Year in 2011

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is touting fiscal year 2011 as a record year for obtaining monetary settlements and taking in discrimination charges. Also, the agency said it finished the fiscal year on September 30 with a 10 percent decrease in its pending charge inventory, the first such reduction since 2002. The agency released […]

2 Tricky Challenges: FMLA Bonding and Fetal Protection

Pregnant employees typically present a host of Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) issues, and then, for many employers, there’s the very tricky balancing act of fetal protection—what to do when the mother wants to work in a job that might endanger the unborn child. FMLA Protection for Pregnant Employees Under FMLA, incapacity because of […]

Hiring: Best of Intentions, Worst of Lawsuits

Today, more manager’s hiring mistakes to add to the expensive 6 in yesterday’s Advisor, plus a program that’s helping HR managers all over the country be more effective … especially if they’re in small or one-person departments. Although they may have the best of intentions, untrained managers doing hiring can get their companies in legal […]

Huffington: Look in the Mirror, HR

In yesterday’s Advisor, Sir Richard Branson riffed on HR and management. Today, Arianna Huffington and Michael J. Fox echo some of Sir Richard’s ideas and add a few of their own. Huffington (of Huffington Post fame) posits three basic instincts in the pursuit of happiness—survival, sex, and power—and adds a fourth—doing something for others. That […]

Agencies Add Safe Harbors to 90-day Rule for Health Plan Enrollment

Generally, waiting periods to enroll in health coverage cannot exceed 90 days, and eligibility conditions based solely on the lapse of a time period are permissible for no more than 90 days, under new final rules issued by the U.S. Departments of Labor Health and Human Services and the Treasury. In addition, the employer has […]

Training On Employee Meal Break Rules Can Help Avoid Legal Trouble

Supervisors who ask employees to perform work during unpaid meal periods could be putting their employer at risk for a wage and hour lawsuit. However, training can help educate supervisors about federal and state law regarding the compensability of meal periods and, in the process, minimize the risk of such lawsuits.