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In a BusinessWeek article, Bruce Weinstein, PhD., who calls himself “The Ethics Guy,” says that most political issues are by their nature highly divisive. At stake in this year’s presidential election, he adds, are such questions as these, all guaranteed to have the potential for controversy: Should abortion continue to be legal? Should same-sex marriage […]
by Kyle C. Foust Many employers institute policies prohibiting off-duty employees from accessing their facilities. If you are one of those employers, you should ensure that the language of your policy complies with the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Specifically, the policy must not violate Section (8)(a)(1) of the NLRA. The National Labor Relations Board […]
Special from Atlanta—SHRM Annual Conference and Exhibition People can’t admit to their own performance failures, says attorney James McDonald, so when they are fired, they wonder, What could it have been? And they come up with: “I must have been discriminated against based on my looks!” McDonald, who is a partner in the Irvine, California office […]
by Jonathan C. Sterling As of October 1, Connecticut employers need to make sure they’re in compliance with the state’s new medical marijuana law. Under the law, employers of one or more employees are prohibited from refusing to hire, discharging, penalizing, or threatening an employee solely on the basis of his status as a “qualifying […]
Without question, a job counter offer can be a useful tool if the situation fits. Under the right circumstances it might save a key employee from leaving—at least temporarily. However, in most cases they may create more problems than they solve, so employers should take care in assessing whether a job counter offer is truly […]
Special from Atlanta–SHRM Annual Conference and Exhibition In yesterday’s Advisor, attorney Dana Cotham offered suggestions for avoiding retaliation claims—the most common type of claim. Today, the red flags that signal potential problems, plus an introduction to the new, comprehensive training solution—TrainingToday. Here are Cotham’s “Red Flags for Retaliation.” The actions listed below are those that […]
The increasing need for employees to care for an older relative or friend should prompt an expansion of federal legal protections against workplace discrimination, according to a recent report by the AARP Public Policy Institute. In what the AARP report authors dub as the “new normal,” Protecting Family Caregivers from Employment Discrimination says discrimination in […]
For years, BLR® has surveyed HR and compensation/benefits professionals to find trends in policy and practice. We appreciate your participation in our series of brief, targeted surveys. Today’s survey topic: Employee Leave Survey. We’ll publish the results in a future issue, and we’ll also send you a PDF report. (Be sure to include your contact […]
One of the traits I think is important in a leader is consistency. It’s not always easy to assess in job candidates, but it certainly shows itself (or not) over time. Webster’s defines consistency this way: “steadfast adherence to the same principles, course, form, etc.” A consistent leader has a steadfast adherence to the same […]
by Emilie Paquin-Holmested Generally when employees decide to leave their jobs, they are considered to have quit. But in Canada, if they leave their jobs because the employer substantially changed essential terms of their employment, they are considered to have been constructively dismissed. The line separating these two notions is often unclear. It’s especially so […]