Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The U.S. Supreme Court held today in Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc., that employees who sue their employers for age discrimination must prove that age was the cause of an employment decision, even if they have some evidence that age was a factor in the decision. This 5-4 decision makes it harder for employees […]
With layoffs and downsizings all around us, today’s guest columnist, Maurizio Morselli, wonders whether HR can help ensure that these “staff-ectomies” are carefully planned and cut no deeper than absolutely necessary. Organizations and individuals are faced with new challenges every day. The global “FDD” (fiscal decadence disorder) is the latest malady that has created enormous […]
President Barack Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum on Federal Benefits and Non-Discrimination June 17 at an Oval Office event. The memorandum addresses the benefits to which same-sex partners of federal employees may be entitled and is a result of internal reviews conducted by the director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the secretary […]
In yesterday’s Advisor, we looked at criteria for identifying “essential functions” for job descriptions. Today, again courtesy of Natividad Valdez of Washington State Department of Personnel, we share more tips on essential functions, and an introduction to a new job description management program. What criteria should be used to differentiate between marginal and essential functions? […]
(Updated June 17, 2009) The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) voted Wednesday (June 17) to move forward with revising its regulations to conform to changes made by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA), which would make it easier for an individual seeking protection under the ADA to establish that he or she has a […]
Conceptually, “essential functions” seems easy enough, but it’s tricky when you get down to specifics. And there are common mistakes that are easily avoided. Here are some “essential” guidelines, courtesy of attorney Natividad Valdez of the Washington State Department of Personnel. Why Are Essential Functions So Important? From a human resources standpoint, identifying essential functions […]
The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) recently issued its 2008 Annual Report, noting a 15 percent increase in employee complaints over the previous year.
In the aftermath of layoffs affecting businesses over the last two years, many of those employees who are lucky enough to have kept their jobs are feeling a little less lucky these days. Increased workloads, combined with looming fears of even more layoffs, has left many employees feeling burnt out.
One of the unfortunate outcomes of the current economic climate is that there are fewer jobs to go around for students. Summer and graduating students who have relied on summer jobs for experience and training are finding few opportunities out there. To solve this problem, many students and graduates are reaching out to companies to […]
Terminations are breeding grounds for expensive lawsuits. Yesterday’s Advisor presented the first 7 of 10 questions you should ask before terminating employees. Today we’ll cover questions 8 through 10, plus look at a handy terminations checklist from HR.BLR.com®. 8. Do you have a well-documented business reason for the termination? Generally, if you can produce a […]