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Undercover Mission for CEOs

The other day, it was pointed out to me  that we Americans like to be comfortable. It may seem like I’m stating the obvious here since no one likes to be uncomfortable. And maybe I am, but hear me out on this one. Do you know what the number one selling chair is in America? […]

"I Wonder When Immigrants Became the Enemy"

Special from Atlanta–SHRM Annual Conference and Exhibition Condoleezza Rice’s thought-provoking comment about the immigration situation in the United States came at SHRM’s Annual Conference and Exposition, held recently in Atlanta Georgia. Three Big Developments HR managers need to be aware of the effect of three incidents that are shaping our world today, Rice says. 9/11. […]

Harassment Policies Still #1, But Social Media Biggest Challenge (Policy Survey Results)

Harassment and discrimination policies are the still the most widely implemented policies, but social media policies are the most likely to cause a challenge in the coming year, according to a recent survey of HR policies conducted by BLR and the Daily Advisors. Thanks to all who participated! Here are the detailed results: Most Common […]

Safety Trumps Religion: Third Circuit Upholds Ban on Headscarves

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals (which covers Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) recently upheld the district court’s decision to dismiss a complaint by three Muslim prison workers who were prohibited from wearing headwear at work. Facts Three female employees at GEO Group, Inc., a private company that was contracted to run the George W. […]

Noncompetes Moving “Down-Market” – Are They for Your Company, Too?

Noncompete agreements, once exclusively for highly paid execs, are now being used with even blue collar workers. Are they useful? Are they legal? How do you keep them that way? Here’s the information you need. It seemed a simple enough transaction. The sports broadcasting network, ESPN, had decided to change security service vendors. One company […]

Supreme Court Expands ERISA Remedies

In a case that could have far-reaching consequences for employers and employees alike, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday, February 20, 2008, that the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) allows an employee to sue his employer because of a fiduciary breach that resulted in individual losses to his 401(k) plan. James LaRue says […]

An Invitation to Share Your E-Pinion With a Few (About 135,000, Actually) of Your Colleagues

How many times have you had strong feelings about something in HR that you wanted to let the profession know about? Well, here’s your chance to do it. If you’re a steady reader of this column, you know it’s usually written by BLR’s founder and publisher Bob Brady. Bob’s “e-pinions” have crisscrossed the wide world […]

HHS to Step Up HIPAA Privacy Enforcement in ‘Abject Failure’ Cases

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is refocusing its HIPAA privacy enforcement efforts on seeking monetary penalties in cases of “abject failure” to comply, the head of HHS’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) indicated. “The majority of matters we handle are going to be resolved through education” as they have in the […]

Health Care Reform and Employers

New Urgency on Healthcare Reform: More Pointers for Employers

By Jason Lacey Foulston Siefkin LLP The legal underpinnings of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on healthcare reform are complex, but the bottom line is very clear for employers: Nothing has changed. The law that went into effect March 23, 2010 (the Affordable Care Act, or ACA), and has been in effect ever since, remains […]

Transit Parity Back on the Slate in Congress

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have put transit parity — that is, the equalization of mass transit and qualified parking benefits under tax Code Section 132 — back in play, after watching it fail earlier in the session. The legislation would extend a temporary parity provision that expired Dec. 31, 2011, for another two years. Sen. […]