Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
There are dozens of details to take care of in the day-to-day operation of your department and your company. We give you case studies, news updates, best practices and training tips that keep your organization fully in compliance with ever-changing employment law, and you fully aware of emerging HR trends.
Typically, harassment claims involve allegations that an individual has been harassed by a coworker or supervisor. A recent case involving an Illinois casino demonstrates the importance of employers guarding against potential harassment by non-employees as well. Cornered at the Beer Tub Laura Wong worked as a beverage server at Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, Illinois. […]
The overall percentage of private sector unionization dipped slightly (by .2%) in 2022, but labor unions made strides in organizing new workers. In 2022, unions won more elections to represent private sector employees than in any year since 2005. They also won a record-high 76% of all elections held, buoyed by numerous victories in the […]
Let’s be honest: Today’s employees have been through a lot in the last few years. On the heels of the pandemic and dealing with surging inflation, mass layoffs, and political discord, workers’ stress levels have climbed to new heights. When a complicated family matter or taxing financial struggle turns into a legal issue, it can […]
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 (PDA) makes it illegal for employers to discriminate against pregnant employees and requires reasonable accommodations for an employee’s known limitations related to pregnancy or childbirth. Let’s look at how the PDA and the PWFA affect employers who have pregnant employees. We’ll be using West Virginia’s version as an example, […]
While businesses typically take extensive steps to avoid layoffs, they’re unfortunately part of the business life cycle. As the United States has had a recent uptick in layoffs across various industries, employers should be aware of the potential impact to their permanent residence (green card) immigration programs. The PERM (or labor certification) application is one […]
Many workplace concerns arose during the COVID-19 pandemic or were preexisting but were exacerbated by it. One such issue is employee monitoring. Employers normally monitor employees extensively—timekeeping, project billing, performance evaluations, etc.—but the explosion of remote work during the pandemic created a lucrative market for more extensive monitoring processes. Monitoring Basics Monitoring can take a […]
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a new report finding that nearly half of workplace accommodations made for people with disabilities can be implemented at no cost to employers, and of those that do incur a one-time cost, the median expenditure has decreased when compared to previous reports to only $300. According to the DOL, an […]
You may have a terrific HR team that’s quick to respond to employee concerns, delivers information to employees efficiently, and understands the humans who work for your company truly are its best resource. But if you’re looking to really uplevel your HR game, you may consider bringing an ombuds on board. What Is an Ombuds? […]
As summer heats up, employers in the Southwest should keep a close eye on how heat affects their workforce. Heat-related illness is a hot topic for the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as well as state OSHA plans. Recently, an unusual settlement involved the Department of Labor (DOL) and OSHA over several heat […]
On May 1, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in Murray v. UBS Securities. Murray is a whistleblower retaliation case brought under the Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX). Plaintiff Trevor Murray alleges he was terminated in retaliation for raising concerns to his supervisor about his employer (UBS) committing fraud on shareholders. The jury delivered a $1 million […]