Tag: news

New NLRB website highlights “protected concerted activity”

by Tammy Binford The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is continuing efforts to broaden its impact on the workforce with the launch of a webpage aimed at communicating to workers how they can use the law in disputes with their employers. The webpage is the latest of several recent NLRB moves that many employers find […]

U.S. Supreme Court rules drug reps are exempt as “outside salesmen”

By Nancy Williams Pharmaceutical representatives who persuade physicians to prescribe specific drugs don’t make any actual sales. They can’t because the products they promote can be sold legally only through a doctor’s prescription to an individual patient. Yet for years, it has been a common industry practice to categorize such employees as outside sales representatives […]

2012-2013 Pay Budget Survey

It’s time for BLR and HRHero’s annual Pay Budget Survey. What’s happening with salary increases and bonuses in 2012 and 2013? How do your plans compare to those of your competitors? Let’s find out. By sharing your insight, opinions, and experience, you can help highlight trends and define benchmarks — by industry, geographic location, and […]

Court Ruling in Defense of Marriage Act Case Leaves Uncertainty for Employers

By Kathy Carlson A federal appeals court in Massachusetts ruled Thursday that the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional because it prevents same-sex married couples from receiving benefits available to heterosexual married couples. The U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals also ruled that in enacting DOMA, the federal government was intruding into domestic […]

NLRB Member Resigns Amid Leak Allegations

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which risked losing a quorum just a few months ago, is losing one of its two Republican members. Terence Flynn, who joined the NLRB in January, submitted his resignation on May 26. The resignation is to be effective July 24, but Flynn already has recused himself from all agency […]

Oklahoma Employees May Have Misconceptions About New ‘Open Carry’ Law

by Charlie Plumb Effective November 1, 2012, Oklahoma handgun owners will be permitted to carry their firearms more freely than before. Yet contrary to some popular belief, the state’s new “open carry” bill (SB 1733) does have limitations. Though some employees may believe they now will have the right to carry guns while at work, […]

NLRB Union Election Rule Struck Down

Foes of the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) rule to shorten the process required to hold a union representation election scored a win when a court invalidated the rule on May 14, but the final outcome of the fight isn’t yet clear. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the NLRB […]

Background Check

EEOC Updates Guidance on Use of Arrest, Conviction Records in Employment

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has released new guidance related to employers’ use of applicant and employee arrest and conviction information. The new guidance, approved in a 4-1 vote during a meeting on April 25, includes information on how an employer’s use of an individual’s criminal history in making employment decisions could violate the […]

Massachusetts Criminal Record Rule Changes Finish Taking Effect May 4

by Tim Murphy In 2010, the Massachusetts Legislature made sweeping changes to the statute governing employers’ use of Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI). In addition to prohibiting employers from asking about an applicant’s criminal history on the job application, the amendments called for additional changes to the way employers access CORI data and how they […]

D.C. Circuit Blocks Implementation of April 30 Posting Requirement

The ongoing saga of delays and extensions of the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) notice posting rule continues, this time with an injunction. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has granted a request to halt the implementation of a rule that would require all employers subject to the National Labor […]