Is Obesity the New Lawsuit Hot Button for Employers?
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?
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News Notes: Supervisor Personally Hit With Big Harassment Verdict
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 […]
"Sound Advice" for Training Supervisors
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 […]
Flex Perks: Waste or Path to Profits?
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, […]
New ADA Compliance Guidance Covers Cancer, Diabetes, Epilipsy and Intellectual Disabilities
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 […]
Employer Can’t Charge Fee For Cashing Paycheck At ‘Dispensing Machine’
Most Retirees Leave Ex-employer’s Plan within 5 Years
The overwhelming majority of defined contribution plan participants at retirement age roll their retirement savings over from their employer’s plan to an individual retirement account within five years of leaving the company, according to new research by Vanguard. But most refrain from taking distributions for years afterward. This common decision has implications for the “to […]
Say what? Asking employees to take language classes
by Brad Cave Q: Will I be in violation of federal discrimination laws if I provide an “English as a second language” (ESL) employee English language training at the company’s expense? A Any possible discrimination charge under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 would be based on national origin. The Equal Employment […]
Accommodating Workers: Court Explains Responsibilities Of Employers And Disabled Employees To Work Together To Find New Job
Under changes to the state disability discrimination law that took effect January 1, you can be sued for failing to cooperate with a disabled employee to determine whether they need a reasonable accommodation and to explore available options. A new California Court of Appeal decision provides more detail on how you and the disabled employee […]
Survey Identifies Four Factors that Control Healthcare Cost Increases
A recent survey of 585 businesses identified major growth in companies offering high deductible healthcare plans, and noted four ways to restrain cost increases. Once upon a time, if you worked for a good company and you got sick, you went to any doctor, hospital, or pharmacy and handed them your health plan card. That […]