Month: September 2014

Latest fast-food protests buoyed by NLRB, Obama stance

More fast-food protests are planned for September 4, with the latest round including homecare workers and possible civil disobedience. Fast-food and other low-wage workers have been staging periodic strikes and demonstrations since 2012 in hopes of increasing their hourly wage. In addition to expanding the type of workers represented, planners of the new protests have […]

Monkeys and Dogs React to ‘Workplace’ Unfairness

Don’t shake your head when employees come to your office complaining that some practice is “unfair.” It could be a natural animal reaction, said experts presenting at the American Psychological Association (APA) annual convention. Their research found that monkeys, and even some dogs, can discern when something is not equitable in their favor.

Policy Survey Results … Who Has Policies on What?

The results of BLR’s 2014 Policy Practices Survey are in; here are some highlights: 89.8% of participants have formalized policies. 77.5% have an at-will employment statement. Employee handbooks are the preferred method of distributing policies to employees for 49.9%. An internal website (intranet) is utilized by 29.3%. Social media background checks are conducted by only […]

Small Creatures Cause Large Number of Fatalities

When you think of certain jobs—like firefighter, police officer, bodyguard—you tend to think that these jobs are pretty dangerous. Would you feel the same way about groundskeepers or florists? Some of the most mundane jobs may, in fact, be the most life-threatening. And it’s not the jobs that are killing workers; it’s the critters that […]

Tips for Avoiding Hiring-Related Lawsuits

Yesterday, California attorney Allison West offered tips for avoiding defamation and fraud lawsuits. Today, her tips on recruiting, plus an introduction to a California-specific hiring resource no HR professional in our state should be without.

Train Supervisors to Ask the Right Questions

There are many legal issues employers face during the interview process. Job interviews are a potential legal land mine for discrimination complaints and lawsuits. Numerous federal laws prohibit discrimination in hiring practices, including the interview process. For example: The Civil Rights Act of 1964, commonly known as Title VII, is the grandparent of employment discrimination […]

NWoW—adidas Group’s New Way of Working

In a packed session at SHRM’s Annual Conference and Exposition in Orlando, adidas® Senior Vice President, Human Resources—Commercial, Gregg Tate GPHR, offered insights into the company’s intriguing “new way of working” (NWoW).

Severance Agreements: Drafting Do’s and Don’ts for Avoiding EEOC Attention

Van Parys, who is with Carothers DiSante & Freudenberger LLP in Sacramento, offered his tips at the SHRM Annual Conference and Exposition held recently in Orlando. Recent EEOC Actions Two recently filed lawsuits, in which severance agreements were called  overly broad and unenforceable, may help employers fashion their own severance agreements, says Van Parys. EEOC […]