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The most homogenous place on Earth?

by Mark I. Schickman Remembering that employment discrimination has been illegal for less than 50 years, workplace accommodation has come a long way. The first accommodation laws protected people with cancer, back when cancer was feared to be contagious. The law was put to the test when it was applied to protect people infected with […]

Survey shows employers staying course while exploring options on benefits

The health care reform law and high insurance costs are giving businesses plenty to think about, but most employers responding to a survey on employee benefits say their 2013 health insurance packages are close to what they offered in 2012. More than 2,000 employers participated in the survey from human resource and benefits information provider […]

OFCCP Gives Employers Until Feb. 21 to Respond to Quota for Hiring Workers With Disabilities

Federal contractors  have an additional two weeks — until Feb. 21 — to respond to the Labor Department’s proposal establishing goals for hiring workers with disabilities. In December, Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs released proposed regulations that would require federal contractors to aim to have 7 percent of their workforce be individuals with […]

Toronto’s G20 Summit — Lessons for Employers about High-Security

By Patrick Gannon The G20 Summit of world leaders will be in Toronto June 26-27. The summit is expected to draw considerable attention and thousands of protesters from around the world. Like the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, there will be intensive security measures and lots of potential disruptions. As the summit will be held at […]

Are generic antigay comments considered harassment?

by Steve Jones Q I have an employee who is outwardly gay. He is a great employee and says he loves working at my business. However, he recently mentioned that he doesn’t like when a specific coworker uses antigay slurs. The slurs are not directed toward the gay employee. Instead, the slurs are generic comments […]

Rightsizing’s Near- and Long-Term Costs

Last month, we published a guest E-pinion by Maurizio Morselli in which he talked about HR’s role in curing “fiscal decadence disorder” and ensuring that reductions in force don’t cut any deeper than necessary. His column generated some interesting feedback, which we share today. I like the article on HR’s role in curing the Fiscal […]

Reform Agencies Warn: Don’t Unduly Restrict Preventive Care

Plans may not impose cost-sharing on out-of-network services unless in-network providers are available and the plan member goes out of network in spite of that, federal agencies  noted in FAQs on the ACA Part XXIX. But if network provider directories fail to list providers as offering the service in question, then plan members do not […]

Workplace Harassment: Preventive Measures May Limit Liability

By Dominique Launay No doubt, workplace harassment remains a hot topic in Canada. Another Canadian province, Manitoba, has recently announced that it will join Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and the federal sector in requiring employers to provide protection from workplace harassment. Quebec employers have been required to deal with protections from psychological harassment since 2004. Their […]