Category: Recruiting

Recruiting is changing at a rapid pace. Some organizations are abandoning traditional methods for social media; some think software can do a better job than people.

A Stream of Guidance on Shy Bladder Syndrome

What is HR to do when a job applicant or worker claims to have shy bladder syndrome and refuses to urinate in a cup as part of a drug test? Consider testing the worker’s hair or saliva instead, according to new informal advice from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Shy bladder syndrome, also known […]

Employer wins discrimination case — Evidence of non-performance outweighs employer’s imprudent remark

A recent appeals court ruling shows that clear and consistent documentation of an employee’s poor performance is more important than certain imprudent things a supervisor may say to an employee. Robert Dickerson, an individual with a mental disability, worked as a part-time custodian for an Illinois community college. He was recorded several times losing employer property and […]

The Single Most Common Mistake in Writing Job Descriptions

In yesterday’s Advisor, attorney Olivia Goodkin revealed the top four reasons you need job descriptions. Today, her take on how to craft the job description, plus an introduction to BLR’s popular encyclopedia of pre-written job descriptions. Goodkin who is a partner in the Los Angeles office of law firm Rutter Hobbs & Davidoff, gave her […]

No Laws Require ‘Em, So Why Bother with Job Descriptions

Job descriptions are probably the dullest job in HR, so why bother if you don’t have to? Although there is no law requiring job descriptions, there are compelling reasons to maintain them, says attorney Olivia Goodkin. Goodkin who is a partner in the Los Angeles office of law firm Rutter Hobbs & Davidoff, gave her […]

Despite Phony Divorces, Pension Plan Must Pay Spousal Benefits

Retirement plan administrators do not have the authority to conclude that a domestic relations order (DRO) is not qualified because it is based on a “sham” divorce, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided July 18, 2011. The 5th Circuit stated that a key ERISA section “does not authorize an administrator to consider or […]

Starbucks/EEOC Consent Decree Includes $75k Payout and ADA Training to Remedy Dwarf’s Firing

One of America’s most visible corporations was taken to task for an Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) violation that stemmed from one branch’s poor management actions. Starbucks Coffee Co. last week agreed to pay $75,000 to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC had charged that […]

Should You Offer Trainees a Bonus to Quit? Zappos Does

Special from SHRM Las Vegas Focus on your culture, and the profits will follow, says Zappo’s CEO and author of Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose Tony Hsieh. And the culture at Zappos is all about customer service. The company, known primarily for its Internet shoe business, does very little advertising, Hsieh […]

Special Issues in Conducting Workplace Investigations

The truth is rarely pure and never simple (Oscar Wilde once said), and nowhere is that more true than when investigating workplace allegations of harassment, theft, discrimination, safety violations or substance abuse. Here are a few tricky situations that pose challenges investigators need to understand so as not to let the process derail. The Reluctant […]

Can You Base Hiring Decisions on Information from Social Media Sites?

In yesterday’s Advisor, attorneys Chad Richter and Cynthia Sandoval discussed discipline for blogging. Today, they weigh in on hiring decisions based on social media information, plus we introduce a very useful collection of job descriptions. One of the most controversial questions in HR today is whether to rely on social media sites for information on […]

The Top 5 Questions Before You Discipline for Blogging

Special from SHRM Las Vegas It’s not easy to comply when technology changes every day and the laws are archaic, say attorneys Chad Richter and Cynthia Sandoval. But that’s no excuse—employers have to deal in spite of the confusion. The two Jackson-Lewis attorneys (Richter from the Omaha office and Sandoval from the Newport Beach, California […]