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Two large companies that rely on on background checks to screen new hires are being sued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. It is not illegal for employers to refuse a job to an employee with a criminal background. But in one case the EEOC alleges that a BMW manufacturing facility in South Carolina […]
Provisions of Indiana’s new background check law, which limits the information criminal history providers may give to employers, go into effect July 1. Under the law, criminal history providers won’t be able to provide information related to the following: An infraction, arrest, or charge that didn’t result in a conviction; An expunged record; A record […]
Even though it isn’t a California or federal law requirement, many employers have an employee handbook or at least a few written company policies. Exactly where do those policies come from? The answer to that question is easy―the HR department. But where does HR get the policies that govern the company? The answer to that […]
by Chelsea V. Brown As summer heats up, temperatures start to rise, anticipation for family vacations and summer holidays grows, and the spirit of summer can be felt throughout the workplace. As the arrival of summer becomes increasingly evident in cubicles and corner offices, employees can become relaxed about workplace rules and conduct. In some […]
When GE execs wanted to brighten up their black-and-white training materials for their Leadership Practices Program for Women, they did so literally—with color. The program, administered by two women executives (who job share), seeks to address and provide insight into the unique concerns of talented, “high-potential” female employees. The facilitators, Nancy Schumann and Sandy Sullivan, […]
Sports Illustrated has come out with its annual list of the top 50 highest-earning athletes in American sports. And who is missing? It’s obvious, but it may surprise you. You can probably guess who is in the Top 10, but the top jock is not who you may think. It is someone who has been […]
Reasonable accommodations are a pain and are subject to abuse, says Attorney Lawrence Postol, but litigation over the failure to provide accommodations, with a trial by jury, is a bigger pain and subject to greater abuse. Postol, who is a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Seyfarth Shaw, LLP, offered his Americans with Disabilities […]
We recently ran an article about a survey on odd desk décor. Among examples were a live pig, a lava lamp, and paper dolls. One SBT reader wrote in about an employee who had his own weird way to personalize his workspace. Here’s the story: “We had an employee who was apparently granted a bit […]
An increasing number of employers are examining providing a low-benefits health plan that covers only preventive health services but not high-price major medical claims. Offering this type of low cost or “skinny” plan is allowed under the health reform law. The question is: Will skinny plans trigger a large-employer exodus to de minimis coverage, and if so, […]
To recap: Without even realizing it, most leaders do and say things that send employees into their “Critter State” where every decision they make is driven by fear, says Christine Comaford, author of the new book Smart Tribes: How Teams Become Brilliant Together (Portfolio/Penguin, June 2013). And the consequences are more dire than you might […]