Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
An employee walks visibly shaken into your human resources office. She is upset about a work reassignment and says she does not feel properly trained for the new position. She has an emotional meltdown in front of you: crying and shaking so severely that she requests an ambulance. You attempt to calm her and instruct […]
If an employee’s disability causes him to sexually harass co-workers, the Americans with Disabilities Act does not require the employer to turn a blind eye, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in McElwee v. County of Orange, No. 11-4366-cv (2nd Cir. Nov. 15, 2012). James McElwee, an individual with Pervasive Developmental Disorder, worked […]
Special from the Advanced Employment Issues Symposium, Las Vegas Sweeping developments at DOL and EEOC took top billing at the Employment Law Outlook panel which kicked off the Advanced Employment Issues Symposium in Las Vegas. Panelists included Susan Webman, Of Counsel with FortneyScott in Washington, DC; John Husband, senior partner with Holland & Hart in […]
Yesterday’s Advisor addressed the challenge of managers who won’t manage. Today, what to do about it, plus an introduction to an easy-to-use checklist-based HR audit system. Here are three steps you may take to help your managers manage: 1. Make Responsibilities Clear To start with, of course, you need good, clear policies and procedures. Then […]
Employees are learning the hard way that anything they say or post via online social network sites can and will be used against them in a court of law. This includes incriminating photographs that catch them in the act of fraudulently taking a leave of absence under the Family and Medical Leave Act. A recent […]
Yesterday’s Advisor covered many of the issues around bathrooms and transgender employees. Today, some guidelines and tips, plus an introduction to the all-HR-solution-in-one website, HR.BLR.com. Bloomington, Indiana’s Human Rights Commission issued guidelines regarding gender identity, restrooms, and dressing rooms. (See yesterday’s issue for details.) Here’s what they say: If you have single occupancy restrooms, designate […]
With states and municipalities passing laws designating gender identity as a protected class and the number of employees self-identifying with gender identity issues increasing, many employers are concerned, especially with transgender employees and bathrooms. Sad to say, that’s where it’s at in HR today, worrying about how to juggle toilets to avoid discriminating on the […]
A Catholic church’s music director is a “minister” and therefore ineligible to bring employment discrimination claims against the Church, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled, implementing a new U.S. Supreme Court precedent. Phillip Cannata worked as the music director for St. John Neumann Catholic Church, part of the Catholic Diocese of Austin. He […]
Where do Barack Obama and Mitt Romney stand on employment law and HR issues? Patricia Trainor, BLR’s Senior Managing Editor, Human Resources, was the featured guest on the November 1 broadcast of “The Proactive Employer” –a radio show hosted by Stephanie Thomas that features one-on-one discussions with leading policymakers and thought leaders—on how the presidential […]
Special from the Advanced Employment Issues Symposium, Las Vegas To avoid lawsuits, think like a plaintiffs’ attorney, says attorney Dan M. Forman. When the law firm evaluates your employee’s case, it is making an “investment decision.” Your objective is to discourage their interest. Forman is a partner at the Los Angeles office of Carothers, DiSante […]