Month: September 2010

September 15 — October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month 2010

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, President Lyndon B. Johnson was authorized by Congress to declare National Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968. In 1988, Congress expanded the celebration, and September 15 was chosen as the beginning of the  monthlong event because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El […]

Scantily-Clad, Pierced, Tattooed: How to Draw the Line

Can’t people just dress right? It’s such a hassle dealing with employees with prominent tattoos, midriff-baring tops, and see through materials. Let’s let the famous HR Red Book® sort it out. Dress codes. Most every company needs one, but putting together a policy that everyone understands, and that complies with government requirements isn’t easy. For […]

Watch Your Mouth

Forgive me for repeating myself, but The Office was a repeat last night. Thankfully it was the last repeat before next week’s season premier, Thursday, Sept. 23 on NBC. Moving on. This was the episode where Jo sought to uncover who blew the whistle on Sabre’s faulty explosive printers. There really didn’t seem to be […]

death by meeting

Death By Meeting

OK, I’ll admit it, I don’t like meetings. I’ve never been a big believer in meetings. And while I know that sometimes meetings are necessary, I avoid them as much as possible. You see, I think Peter Drucker had it right when he said, “Meetings are a symptom of bad organization. The fewer meetings the […]

Health Care Reform Gives Employer Wellness Programs a Boost — But Be Careful

by  Susan Fahey Desmond Well, here it is — the Health Care Reform and Control Act. Beginning January 1, 2014, every individual will be required to have “minimum essential coverage” through individual market, employer-provided or certain other coverage (e.g., Medicare or CHIP).  Also, beginning January 12, 2014, any employer who employed an average of 50 […]

#1 Rule of Holiday Party Planning: Avoid Lawsuits

By Stephen D. Bruce, PHR Editor, HR Daily Advisor The holiday party—a traditional HR role that sounds simple, but can quickly turn into an expensive legal disaster. “With the let-loose attitude of holiday parties, employers often disregard the liabilities involved, especially when alcohol is being served.” says attorney Christopher J. Boman. It’s natural for employers […]

Credibility Determinations—Every HR Manager Better Know How

In yesterday’s Advisor, attorneys Michael Soltis and Allison Bogosian shared investigation tips. Today, their take on the ticklish business of credibility determinations, and an introduction to a new training system that will help with all your training requirements. Soltis and Bogosian are attorneys at the Stamford, Conn. offices of nationwide employment law firm Jackson Lewis. […]

September 23: The First Step on Road to Health Care Reform Compliance

By Tamara S. Killion Groom Law Group, Chartered On March 23, 2010, President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law. Among other things, the Act dramatically changes health insurance coverage, including employer-provided health insurance and employer-sponsored group health plans (together, “group health plans”). The law is complex and has many […]

You’re the Investigator? Juries Have High Expectations

Although most organizations are not particularly sophisticated in their investigation policies and procedures, says attorney Michael Soltis, unfortunately, juries have high expectations, especially for bigger organizations. How good must misconduct investigations be? There is, of course, no exact answer, say Michael Soltis and Allison Bogosian, attorneys at the Stamford, Conn. offices of nationwide employment law […]

“Satisfactory” really means “poor,” Your Honor

There’s nothing quite like an untrained manager’s documentation. Yesterday’s Daily presented Pacifica attorney Allison West’s first four principles of “bulletproof documentation.” Today, we’ll see steps 5 through 7 of the bulletproofing process, and take a look at the California Employment Law Update.