Archives

Minimizing Conflicts Over Workplace Diversity

The American workplace is changing. There are more women, minorities, immigrants, nonimmigrant contract workers, non-English-speaking or limited-English-speaking workers, and older workers in the workforce today. Those employees have different needs, expectations, and skills that present many challenges for management. You must not ignore those differences. Ignoring them simply leads to confusion, conflicts, and eventually discrimination […]

Safety Challenges in Dealing with an Aging Workforce

With Americans living longer, they are also working longer, making older workers an invaluable part of any company. They bring wisdom, knowledge, and experience to many aspects of business. They can become mentors for younger and less experienced workers. But there are certain changes that occur to both the body and mind of every individual […]

Heterosexual PR Contractor May Have Suffered Antigay Discrimination

By Terence H. McGuire Recently, a federal district court in New York ruled that a worker retained to perform public relations and other promotional services for a clothing manufacturer could proceed to trial on claims under the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL) and the New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL) that he […]

Wal-Mart Settles Sex Discrimination Suit for $11.7

By Saul C. Glazer Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., has agreed to pay $11.7 million in back wages and compensatory damages, its share of employer taxes, and up to $250,000 in administration fees and will furnish other relief, including jobs, to settle a sex discrimination lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The settlement illustrates […]

#1 on the HR Hassle Hit Parade—FMLA

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) continues to befuddle, annoy, and distract every HR manager. In today’s Advisor, explanations of the most confusing aspects of leave management. The number one FMLA question involves eligibility for leave. "Twelve months and 1,250 hours" should be the clearest of guidelines, but it’s not quite so simple. Let’s […]

Strengths and Weaknesses

Those who’ve been around me much have probably heard me say, “Your greatest strength is also a weakness.” It’s something I believe wholeheartedly. If a person has boundless energy, it may cause him to move too quickly and not pay attention to the details. If someone is an incredible strategic thinker, she may not have […]

President, Congress Extend COBRA Subsidy Again

Yesterday, President Barack Obama signed the Continuing Extension Act of 2010 (H.R. 4851) into law. The bill, which passed the U.S. Senate by a 59-38 vote and the U.S. House of Representatives by a 289-112 vote yesterday, extends the original federal COBRA subsidy created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The new […]

Oregon Court Says No to Medical Marijuana in the Workplace

by Calvin Keith, Perkins Coie For over 10 years, Oregon employers have been waiting for an answer to the question of whether they must accommodate a disabled worker’s use of medical marijuana. The Oregon Supreme Court’s April 14 decision in Emerald Steel Fabricators, Inc. v. Bureau of Labor and Industries answers that question with a […]

Healthcare Reform Happened—Now What?

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady Whatever you felt about it, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act—arguably the most far-reaching piece of social legislation in the last several decades—is now law. Employers around the country—including BLR—are scrambling to figure out what the upcoming changes mean. It’s a huge challenge because federal regulators haven’t […]