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New Disability Regulations for Contractors Expected in April

Regulations requiring federal contractors to implement disability hiring goals will be issued in April 2013, the U.S. Department of Labor announced last week. A year ago, DOL’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs proposed a mandate that would require contractors to aim to have individuals with disabilities make up 7 percent of their workforce. The […]

Managing The Workplace: Manager’s Nightmare—Reprimanded Employee Becomes The Boss

While Joni Grand was the acting jail administrator for the city of Glendale, she warned a subordinate, Marvin Quarles, about his inappropriate conduct toward female employees. She reported Quarles’ actions to her superiors who cautioned him as well, but ultimately decided that his actions didn’t amount to sexual harassment. A year later, Quarles became Grand’s […]

Garamendi Recommends Further Pure Premium Rate Cut

Last week, California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi recommended a 15.3 percent drop in the pure premium rate for policies incepting Jan. 1, 2006. The commissioner’s recommendation was just shy of the 15.9 percent decrease that the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB) recently recommended to the commissioner.

Mentoring: Helping Supervisors “See”

Supervisors don’t just need to understand the challenges faced by minorities and the legal ramifications, they must also experience what it’s like to be a minority within the organization, says Rene Petrin, who, as president of Boston-based Management Mentors, sets up corporate mentoring programs for clients. “One of the most effective ways to translate theory […]

News Notes: NLRB Ruling Makes It Harder To Withdraw Union Recognition

In an important ruling for unionized employers, the National Labor Relations Board has overturned 50 years of precedent and changed the rules for employers who wish to withdraw recognition of a union that may have lost majority support. Under the old rule, an employer could withdraw recognition based on a good-faith belief that the union […]

Curbing FMLA Abuse

Ask most HR managers what their biggest headache is, and about 90 percent say “FMLA.” From eligibility to notifications to managing intermittent leave, it’s an ever-present problem.

Instacart Backs Down on Controversial Pay Policy Update

It can be hard to find workers in any business environment, and that’s even more true with a strong economy and low unemployment But it’s not just big corporations looking for top-dollar professionals that are feeling the pinch; companies whose workers are part-time, temporary, and largely independent need to be careful of how they treat […]

Social Media: Don’t Get Off Track With the Law in Monitoring Employees

Recently, we posted survey results from the Society of Human Resource Management showing that almost a third of respondents monitor employees’ use of social media platforms. Hopefully, they are also tracking the laws that could limit the extent of such monitoring. “Social media monitoring that runs afoul of the employee’s privacy interests will subject the […]

Senate HELP Committee Hears Testimony on Paycheck Fairness Act

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee heard extensive testimony this morning on the Paycheck Fairness Act (S. 182; H.R. 11), a bill that proposes numerous changes to the Equal Pay Act of 1963. Among the witnesses present were Representative Rosa DeLauro, who is one of the sponsors of the Act, and Commissioner […]