Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Now is not the time to kill your diversity program. According to new research from George Mason University, workplace discrimination actually increases in an economic downturn. A recent study by Eden King, an assistant professor of psychology at the Fairfax, Virginia, college, found that competition for fewer jobs and resources often forces minority groups to […]
Managers often hire people who mirror them behaviorally; when they don’t, they tend to get frustrated and criticize the employee because of his or her work style. Performance-based concerns are valid, but if the employee is “getting the job done,” it’s a different matter. Diverse work styles and thought processes, say experts, can offer a […]
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that workplace discrimination charge filings increased 15 percent last year to an unprecedented level of 95,402. While the agency stated that it didn’t know if this was a trend, it was an indication of a persistent problem. All of the main categories of charge filings with the […]
The Second Appellate Division of the California Court of Appeal recently upheld a jury verdict exceeding $1.1 million against the Pasadena Fire Department for subjecting a firefighter to a fitness-for-duty examination and retiring him, failing to provide a reasonable accommodation for his perceived disability, and failing to engage in an interactive process. Firefighter Loses Racial […]
It’s no secret that it is hard to find work in today’s economy. As a result, rejected candidates are more likely to put up a fight—and file lawsuits—says attorney Sandra Rappaport. So it’s more important than ever for interviewers to do everything right. It may seem like easy times for recruiters, but there’s a catch—rejected […]
I’m in the process of writing my Q1 report for our board of directors and I’m trying to come up with the appropriate adjective to describe the current economic environment and explain its impact on our business. As I searched for the right adjective to describe the business climate we’re facing I first considered “challenging.” […]
Update: E-verify deadline moved to September 2009 The deadline for federal contractors and subcontractors to begin using the E-Verify system has once again been delayed –- this time to June 30. The rule requiring federal contractors and subcontractors to agree to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their employees went into effect in January, but […]
Should our company use job descriptions? How long should they be, and what information should they contain? Do they really serve a useful purpose? Employers attorneys get those questions all the time, and the answer is always the same: Yes, employers should use lean, practical job descriptions that accurately reflect essential job duties because they […]
(Updated May 2010) By Hillary J. Collyer Summer is here, which means that student interns are arriving for their summer internships — and many of these internships are unpaid. Internships afford students the opportunity to gain practical, real world experience, as well as explore various career paths and develop potential contacts. Employers should be careful, […]
by Sarah McAdams The average office worker in America uses about 500 disposable cups every year, according to the Clean Air Council. If 10 million of them used their own mugs, it would eliminate about 312,500 miles of trash every year. Launching a “green coffee” program at your company can be as simple as changing […]