Most Popular

Marijuana Disclaimer Must Be Crystal Clear, Court Rules

California law prohibits employers from asking job applicants about most marijuana-related convictions that are more than two years old. A new California appeals court decision, Starbucks v. Superior Court (Lords), highlights the fact that employers must be extremely clear with applicants that they are not seeking this barred info.

“You’ve got mail! And it just might be a warrant for your arrest”

You don’t have to try very hard these days to find employment law references in pop culture. Movies and TV shows examine issues of employment discrimination, politicians seem unable to resist the urge to text photos of their private parts to their disgusted subordinates, and professional athletes provide ample fodder for lawyers in desperate search […]

Counteroffers: Effective Retention Tool, or Display of Desperation?

Ghosts and goblins bedevil the children this Halloween week, but it’s retention that bedevils HR managers. Will counteroffers help retention? In this two-part article, today’s experts say yes, tomorrow’s say no. Retention is once again raising its head as the bugaboo of HR managers. You think you’ve got things settled and then suddenly your best […]

The ROI of Diversity Initiatives: The Challenges of Metrics

 By Dr. Edward E. Hubbard There’s a fair amount of buzz around diversity measurement and analytics. Advances in software, newly-available data sources, and how-to manuals have made it easier gain access to diversity measures. Although interest in measuring the effects of diversity has been growing, the topic still challenges even the most sophisticated and progressive […]

ACA: Expect Flex, Delay, and Some Hassle in 2013

Implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) involves a lot of moving parts, says Attorney Martin Simon. As the various pieces of the ACA come into play, we can expect some flexibility, some postponing of deadlines, and a delay of penalties, he adds. In fact, the delays have already started, says Simon, Senior Legal Editor […]

Exempt Employees: Court Clarifies That Employers Have No Recourse To Correct Errors If They Have An Actual Practice Of Pay Docking

Docking an exempt employee’s salary is fraught with risk. If your policy is to dock for disciplinary infractions or you improperly dock on a consistent basis, you lose the opportunity to correct illegal deductions—and run the risk of forfeiting exempt status for all workers covered by the policy. A new Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals […]

Come Explore the ‘New’ BLR

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady It’s with (slightly) mixed emotions that I announce that Business & Legal Reports, the company I founded 32 years ago, has changed its name to Business & Legal Resources and launched a new corporate website at www.BLR.com. You may be wondering—why the change? The switch from “Reports” to […]

DOL Says Plan Prevent Protect, Attorneys Say Audit Audit Audit

DOL is heading your way with $25 Million for increased enforcement and they expect to generate—from your company and others—$7 Billion of additional revenue over the next 10 years. To avoid getting ensnared in this web of increased enforcement, the solution is simple say attorneys Veronica Gray & E. George Joseph—audit, audit, audit. Gray and […]

Massachusetts set for highest minimum wage in U.S.

by Susan G. Fentin Massachusetts is set to soon have the highest minimum wage in the country. On June 26, Governor Deval Patrick signed a bill that will raise the state’s minimum wage from $8 per hour to $11 an hour by 2017, the highest statewide minimum wage in the country and a full 50 […]