Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
By Brian P. Smeenk Drug and alcohol testing has long been a sensitive subject in Canada, especially in safety-sensitive workplaces. A recent 128-page arbitration decision by a leading Canadian arbitrator may have put to rest many of the remaining questions about what kinds of policies will be enforceable in Canada and what they should contain. […]
Ever since 1964, discrimination based on race or color has been illegal. EEOC has finally told us what those terms mean, says HR Manager’s Legal Reporter. The recent Supreme Court ruling that greatly expanded the definition of retaliation (Daily Advisor, 9/25/06), showed how important it is for HR people to keep track of happenings in […]
“Social media networks and blogs are now the fourth most popular online activity, ahead of personal e-mail,” says Attorney Cynthia L. Gibson. And they are getting more popular with HR for background checks. Unfortunately, she says, once you turn up information you don’t want, “you can’t unring the bell.” Gibson is senior vice president, Legal, […]
An employee who claimed her boss sexually harassed her was awarded nearly $400,000 in damages—but the supervisor, not the employer, will have to pay the tab. Maria Kaul worked for a short time as a secretary for Orion Systems, Inc., in Santa Clara. She claimed her boss, Morton Kessler, repeatedly commented on her clothing, kissed […]
The EEOC recently sued an organization that fired an employee because of her weight. Is obesity bias the next hot-button issue that employers need to watch out for?
The agency responsible for enforcing the Americans with Disabilities has revised several of its guidance documents to reflect recent changes to the law. The May 15 changes were necessary because of the ADA Amendments Act, which expanded the law’s coverage in 2009, the U.S said in a press release. The documents explain how ADA applies […]
In yesterday’s Advisor, we featured highlights from the 2011 Fulbright & Jaworski Litigation Trends Survey; today, what the survey revealed about litigation budgets and wage/hour litigation, plus good news about your job descriptions. Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. is a leading full-service international law firm, with approximately 850 lawyers. Litigation Spending Is Up Spending on litigation […]
If you want to effectively train supervisors on legal hiring, don’t just show them or tell them, but do both! If you’ve tried training your supervisors on HR and found that some just never catch on, perhaps you’re not properly accommodating their “learning styles.” For as educators will tell you, some people learn best by […]
Flextime, telework, and other perks: Are they feel-good frippery or the path to profits? In today’s Advisor, we’ll take a look at two companies that have reaped substantial rewards from employee-based thinking and flexible scheduling. First, let’s take a look at Robert W. Baird & Company, an employee-owned, international wealth management, capital markets, private equity, […]