Most Popular

At-Will Employment Language: HR Form of the Week

In an earlier blog article we discussed a recent appeals court decision which upheld a vague employment agreement clause. Although the employer prevailed in that case despite the unclear at-will language, it’s important to make an at-will employment arrangement clear to employees to avoid lawsuits. This week we provide you with sample policy language that […]

Work-Sharing: An Alternative to Layoffs in Canada

By Katie Clayton and Cherity Smith Since the economic downturn took hold, each day brings another announcement of employee layoffs and corporate downsizing. Recent blog entries have looked at options such as layoffs, furloughs, and reducing hours of work. There is another option in Canada – work-sharing. What is work-sharing? Work-sharing is an adjustment program […]

Bill Would Lower Burden of Proof for Employees Bringing ADA, ADEA Claims

Lawmakers have introduced a bill that would lower the burden of proof for employees bringing disability and age discrimination claims. If passed, the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act (S. 2189) would change the laws’ “but for” standard to one allowing “mixed motives.” Both the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act […]

What Are Posthire Background Checks?

Most employers perform some form of background screening on prospective employees. Often, this is conducted as a condition of the job offer. The candidate proceeds through the hiring process and is made a conditional offer, and the offer proceeds if nothing negative is discovered through the screening process.

How to Retain Employees: Managing Your Top Talent

When devising a strategy on how to retain employees, one of the first considerations is top talent management. A recent survey by Manpower’s Right Management group found that more than 50 percent of U.S. employers are already having a tough time filling mission critical positions. That’s an increase of 14 percent from 2010. This underscores […]

Hot List: New York Times Bestselling Paperback Business Books

The following is a list of the bestselling paperback business books as ranked by the New York Times on January 5. 1. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell. How and why certain products and ideas become fads. 2.  Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by […]

Employers Seeking Savings Can’t Afford Age Claims

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently heard testimony on the particular effects the economic downturn has had on older workers, addressing the unfortunate possibility that the recession may be serving as a catalyst for some employers to engage in age discrimination. Recession Hits Older Workers During a mid-November EEOC meeting, several experts reported on […]

Supreme Court to Decide if Employers Must Help Pregnant Employees

The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether the Pregnancy Discrimination Act requires employers to accommodate pregnant employees, it announced July 1. The court agreed to review Young v. United Parcel Service, Inc., a case from last year in which the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a corporate policy that does not include […]

Will New Litigation Risks Proliferate Because of Health Reform?

With thousands of pages of new laws and rules, there must be thousands of new reasons for employees to sue for health benefits not delivered properly in the wake of near-complete enactment of health reform starting in 2014, one could be forgiven for thinking. Health reform certainly does appear to be somewhat of a litigation […]