Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
by Kelly Boehner There is no federal law in the United States mandating paid maternity or parental leave. Currently, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides for 12 weeks of unpaid parental leave for the birth or adoption of a child or the placement of a child in foster care. Employees are eligible to […]
by Jeffrey D. Slanker and Rob Sniffen The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) Strategic Enforcement Plan (SEP) highlights several areas in which the agency is increasing its focus, including the protection of vulnerable immigrant and migrant workers. That focus was recently underscored by the agency’s settlement of a case involving allegations of national origin and […]
by Joanna Vilos Employees sometimes complain about undesired or harassing conduct that does not rise to the level of a hostile work environment under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. A decision from a Wyoming federal court reveals which steps employers can take to avoid liability and how employers can defend themselves […]
As employers strive to create diverse workforces, they need to think beyond just attracting employees from varied backgrounds. It’s just as important to think about how to retain a diverse group. Taking steps to prevent sexual harassment is one way to make sure talented and productive employees don’t flee work environments they find uncomfortable, even […]
by Robert P. Tinnin, Jr. What do you do when employee morale is at an all-time low? As we all know, it is hard to produce positive outcomes with a workforce that has a negative attitude. I am a firm believer that there is a direct correlation between the level of employee involvement in identifying […]
by Mark I. Schickman Brian Williams was NBC’s news superstar, appearing on programs ranging from 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live, and The Tonight Show. He was a beloved regular on the talk show circuit. Since 2004, he was heir to a line of NBC news chiefs flowing from Chet Huntley and David Brinkley through John […]
by Frank Rox The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) continues to amaze (but not surprise) us with its “anything goes” acquiescence to inappropriate workplace behavior. Recently, in Care One at Madison Ave., LLC (Dec. 2014), the Board ruled that an employer violated employees’ rights by posting its workplace violence policy and a memo a few […]
by Emily Bensinger Edmunds It should go without saying that dressing up as a Ku Klux Klan (KKK) member in modified work clothing at work is unacceptable conduct in the eyes of any employer. As this case from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania shows, three employees who were fired after […]
Searching for employment often feels like one of life’s most difficult challenges. The job seeker has to find a suitable position, go through the application process, hope to advance to the interview stage, and then find a way to stand out in what may be a crowd of applicants vying for the same job. Employers […]
by Mark I. Schickman Racial tensions in America have been dominating the news for several months. Not surprisingly, a new CBS/New York Times poll finds that over 60% of Americans believe that race relations in America are bad and getting worse—the highest percentage in 25 years. Some responses to these statistics will argue that arrests […]