Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
With the NBA and the NHL heading into the playoffs and Major League Baseball’s 2015 season underway, one might think that the NFL would have a hard time breaking onto page 1 of the sports section these days. (For younger readers, that was a reference to something we used to call a “newspaper.”) Not so! […]
The human resources department often finds itself in the position of mediating disagreements about thermostat settings, noise levels, perfume sensitivities, and an array of other workplace issues. But when employee preferences—or even prescriptions—intersect with the law, the job gets more challenging. Recently a group of attorneys was asked whether an employee’s use of aromatherapy at […]
by Allison B. Wannop It is undeniable that the American workforce is getting older or, shall we say, more mature. In The Aging U.S. Workforce, the Stanford Center on Longevity estimates that by 2020, workers 55 and older will make up a quarter of the U.S. labor force, up from 13% in 2000. As the […]
by Gregory L. Silverman Religious accommodations in the workplace can be challenging for employees and employers to navigate. In our increasingly diverse and religiously pluralistic society, an employee’s religious practices may conflict with practices in the workplace. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from discriminating against any individual with respect […]
by Kelly Smith-Haley Most employers know they have to make reasonable accommodations for an otherwise qualified employee with a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). But you may not know that the task of determining what qualifies as a reasonable accommodation doesn’t fall solely on you. A recent court decision reminds employers and […]
by Matthew A. Goodin In addition to allowing disabled employees to sue their employers for discriminating or refusing to provide reasonable accommodations, both federal and California law allow disabled persons to sue businesses and places of public accommodation for failing to comply with a myriad of accessibility requirements, such as having wheelchair ramps or the […]
by Allison B. Wannop One of the most difficult issues employers deal with is how to accommodate an employee with a mental impairment under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Mental impairments can include depression, anxiety disorders, and psychiatric disorders that affect employees’ attendance and performance. Employers may have a difficult time distinguishing mental impairments […]
A federal appeals court has vacated and agreed to rehear a recent opinion in which it held that permission to work from home can be a reasonable accommodation required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. In the now-vacated ruling, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals departed from its precedent that “attendance” is almost always […]
In a decision that overlooked key COBRA guidance, a federal district court ruled that an employer/plan administrator fulfilled its notice obligation by verbally providing a notice of COBRA rights and accepting premium payments — which apparently the qualified beneficiary had to pay a few days after her employment termination. In dismissing a COBRA notice claim, […]
by Lisa Berg What do forgetfulness, menstrual cramps, and social awkwardness have in common? They’re all symptoms of new mental health disorders recognized in the latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which is published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). The DSM-5 is widely used by healthcare professionals to […]