Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
By Saul C. Glazer The Wisconsin Assembly passed a bill on February 21 eliminating compensatory and punitive damages awards for violations of Wisconsin’s Fair Employment Act (WFEA). This bill was passed by the Wisconsin Senate in November 2011 and is expected to be signed into law by Governor Scott Walker shortly. This law reverses a […]
Employers have a new health care reform deadline to add to their calendars. Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Labor (DOL), and the Department of the Treasury issued final regulations under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that are intended to help: individuals easily understand their health […]
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has clarified when and how screening out job applications without high school diplomas may violate the Americans With Disabilities Act. The commission made clear that such a requirement could violate the ADA in an informal guidance late last year, but clarification was necessary after “significant commentary and conjecture,” it said […]
Update (April 13, 2012): The deadline for submitted comments about the proposed rule change has been extended until April 30, 2012 The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is proposing a rule change that would affect how employers calculate leave time under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and how employees are to be reinstated […]
By Francine Esposito Navigating the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) medical certification process can be tricky for even the most seasoned HR professionals. Thankfully, most employees requesting leave for their own serious health condition legitimately need it and will provide the necessary documentation. Other employees, however, attempt to “work the system” to take what […]
Can’t we deal with job descriptions later? No, you need lean, practical job descriptions that accurately reflect essential job duties, says BLR’s California Employment Law Letter. They serve an important, if not necessary, function in virtually every significant employment decision businesses make.
by Molly DiBianca and Michael P. Stafford Delaware’s medical marijuana program has been extinguished. According to the Delaware News Journal, Governor Jack Markell “has suspended the regulation-writing and licensing process for medical marijuana dispensaries — effectively killing the program.” The decision comes in response to a letter from U.S. Attorney Charles M. Oberly III. The […]
by Rosalind H. Cooper It is commonplace for companies and supervisors across Canada to be charged and convicted with respect to health and safety offenses. But the same doesn’t necessarily hold true for health and safety managers. In R. v. Della Valle, the Provincial Court of Nova Scotia recently convicted and fined a health and […]
It’s the season of cardboard cupid decorations festooning cubicles and desks sporting little bowls of heart-shaped candies inscribed with messages such as, “Be Mine,” and “Love.” Valentine’s Day can provide a fun break from winter blahs around the office, but it’s also a reminder of a potential legal hazard — office romance. Employers struggle to […]
Many employers try hard to curtail employee claims against them, or at least to channel such claims away from the courts and into less costly forums. Some have done this by forcing employees to promise not to file a class action suit; others allow class actions, but require that they be resolved through arbitration. The […]