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The federal government should finalize its proposed hiring goal for federal contractors, the National Council on Disability said in a report to President Obama. But the feds also need to improve their own hiring practices, the council said. These are among the recommendations contained in the council’s National Disability Policy: A Progress Report, released Sept. […]
Sign-on bonuses often do make the difference between acceptance and rejection of an offer, says consultant Chuck Csizmar, CCP, but there are a few caveats. Csizmar, who is founder and principal of CMC Compensation Group, offered his tips at a recent BLR-sponsored webinar. Some Csizmar’s negatives to using bonuses: Using them may establish an unwanted […]
In worst-case scenarios, stumbling blocks become legal hurdles too great for your human resources department to overcome. What starts as an innocent mistake, lack of knowledge or sin of policy omission becomes a genuine issue of material fact and it lands your company in court. In the case of Lichtenstein v. University of Pittsburgh Medical […]
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has released a draft of its Strategic Enforcement Plan (SEP) that spells out priorities such as stepped-up efforts against hiring discrimination and harassment, new protections for various vulnerable workers, preserving access to the legal system, and dealing with emerging issues like changes brought by the ADA Amendments Act. Recruitment […]
Employees with chemical sensitivity may be entitled to workplace accommodations, including permission to work from home, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio ruled in Core v. Champaign County (July 30, 2012). Pamela Core, an employee at the Champaign County Department of Job and Family Services, had asthma and a severe chemical […]
Identifying Key Positions and Skills A critical step in the process is to specifically identify the key positions that will be targeted in the succession plan. This usually includes management-level positions. It may also include highly specialized jobs that are essential to the company’s ability to meet current or future goals. Once the positions are […]
We can’t avoid a simple fact—We’re dealing with an aging workforce. For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that over one-third of the civilian employees working for the federal government are eligible for retirement. The same situation exists, but to a somewhat lesser degree, in the workforce as a whole. Companies can’t duck the […]
A supervisor’s apparent bias in the firing of her employee proved costly in a recent 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling which upheld a decision by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Eastern Division awarding $413,000 in damages and liquidated damages in an FMLA retaliation claim based on cat’s-paw liability. […]
“Most of all, you want people to see your hands,” she says. “Do not put them in your pockets, behind your back, or behind a podium.” If you don’t keep your hands where your audience can see them, people will perceive you as being “untrustworthy.” “If an audience does not trust the presenter, or at […]
Mandatory mental health counseling is a “medical examination” regulated by the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Therefore, a requirement that an employee undergo such counseling is subject to all of ADA’s rules and restrictions; specifically, one that prohibits employers from requiring medical exams that are not job-related […]