Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
By Robert P. Tinnin, Jr. Q As a result of the economic downturn, we must lay off approximately half of our workforce. In considering whom we should select, it occurs to me that we could save the most money by laying off higher-salaried, nonmanagement employees. However, our higher-salaried employees tend to have the most seniority […]
Law enforcement officers fall into a different category where age discrimination is concerned. Age actually is a reason to deny hiring a police officer. Facts In 1989, Philip Geenen started working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in a law enforcement position in South Dakota. He was 43 at the time. In 2005, at […]
The big news last fall from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was that for the first year in history, retaliation claims had surpassed race discrimination claims as the most filed complaint in 2010. But the sleeper issue employers could be grappling with very soon is a significant increase in age discrimination claims. Recently the […]
Solving the worker shortage by retaining your older workers brings many benefits, but an aging workforce also raises several challenges. A June 10 webinar will tell you what you need to know.
by Isabella Lee The Eleventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently rejected the “same decision” affirmative defense in age discrimination cases following the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Gross v. FBL Financial Services. The Eleventh Circuit ultimately decided that employers that use age as a reason for termination cannot seek to dismiss a case […]
by Stephen Stine We aren’t getting any younger, and neither are your employees. As a result, employers are increasingly having to confront age-related issues that may lead to legal liability. These issues arise not only in the context of hiring and firing decisions but also in the design of benefit plans. To ensure your benefit […]
In today’s world of corporate belt-tightening and budget cutbacks, you might find yourself wondering whether the expense of an HR staff is actually justified by the benefits. After all, HR doesn’t create revenue for the company — it doesn’t operate the machinery that produces the widgets, and it doesn’t drive sales. In fact, the perception […]
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has proposed regulations that would define “reasonable factor other than age” under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). The need for these rules arises in the wake of the Smith v. City of Jackson decision, a 2008 U.S. Supreme Court case in which the Court addressed the appropriate […]
Mandatory retirement has a long and storied history as part of the Canadian labor system. As we enter 2010, it appears that a new chapter is being written, one in which mandatory retirement is the exception rather than the norm. In Canada, mandatory retirement developed along with the introduction of private and public pension plans. […]
by Mark Wiletsky Although we’re beginning to see signs of an economic recovery, many organizations are still grappling with how to stay competitive in this challenging environment. Layoffs, furloughs, and other methods used to cut personnel costs are often part of the equation. But the savings gained by those cost-cutting measures can be lost if […]