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by Christine D. Mehfoud The government agencies responsible for immigration-related matters are talking to each other. They are monitoring your E-Verify use and referring anomalies for investigation. Companies participating in E-Verify expose themselves to increased government scrutiny. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) E- Verify Monitoring & Compliance Branch (M&C) regularly monitors use of the […]
by Stacey Rose Harris If you are like most HR professionals, you are inundated with résumés from applicants looking for jobs at your company. Sifting through the summaries of job applicants’ credentials and experience can be a Herculean task. When you find the perfect applicant with a stellar background, your efforts may seem worthwhile. Unfortunately, […]
Employment policies: Do they keep organizations running smoothly? Or are they trouble waiting to happen? The answer to both questions is: sometimes. Human resources professionals spend a lot of time working on policies they hope will lead to productive, fair workplaces. Often, though, policies can cause more problems than they solve. Adding to the dilemma, […]
by Richard Reinhardt Unscheduled absenteeism costs American businesses billions of dollars every year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). There are myriad potential costs to take into account, including: Overtime; Paid sick days; Use of temporary or “relief/reserve” employees; Reduced productivity; Poor quality of goods or services resulting from replacement workers’ inexperience […]
by Gregory L. Silverman In 2013, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched the Temporary Worker Initiative (TWI) to focus on preventing injuries and illnesses among temporary workers. OSHA recently released a policy memorandum addressed to its field staff reminding them of the agency’s long-standing enforcement policy for temporary workers. The memo specifically attempts […]
by Kelly Smith-Haley January is here, which means diet, exercise, and wellness resolutions aren’t far behind. And, like many of us, the EEOC has “wellness plans” on its list of 2015 New Year’s resolutions. The Chicago branch of the EEOC recently filed its third action alleging that an employer-sponsored wellness program violates the Americans with […]
Just because the Family Medical Leave Act is rigid in many respects doesn’t mean there isn’t leeway in some situations. For example, reinstatement may not be required for employees deemed to be “key employees.” Recently a group of attorneys well-versed in FMLA issues was asked about exceptions to the reinstatement rule for certain high-level employees. Here is their take on that limited exception to the FMLA rule.
by Leslie Bakken Oliver It’s that time again, when many of us take inventory of the past year and make resolutions for the coming year—for example, to do better, work smarter, become more efficient, or waste less time. For some of you, focusing on aspirations for the coming year may be part of a formalized […]
by John E. Hall The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) most-violated standards for fiscal year (FY) 2014 were recently announced at the National Safety Council Congress and Expo in San Diego, California. Once again, there were few surprises. Employers would be wise to assess their efforts to comply with the 10 identified standards. In […]
by Vanessa L. Goddard Many thanks to Dr. Seuss for the inspiration. Everyone down in HR-ville Liked Christmas a lot. But the boss, in his office upstairs, He did not! The boss hated parties, The whole holiday season. Free turkeys, Secret Santa, I’m not even teasin’. It could be he was stingy, Wouldn’t part with a […]