Tag: news

NLRB Delays Poster Requirement until January 31, 2012

The outcry against a new poster rule from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has resulted in the postponement of the rule’s implementation by more than two months. The NLRB issued a final rule in August requiring employers to notify employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The original deadline to […]

Parts of Alabama Immigration Law Blocked — At Least Temporarily

Alabama employers may see some relief in a federal judge’s opinion on the state’s tough new immigration law even though most of the law was allowed to stand. Chief U.S. District Judge Sharon Lovelace Blackburn ruled on September 28 that key parts of House Bill 56, which was signed into law June 9, can take […]

Health Care Reform Law Moves One Step Closer to Supreme Court

The Obama administration surprised many yesterday when the U.S. Department of Justice asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear its appeal of a decision by the Eleventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta that the health insurance mandate provision found in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the comprehensive health care reform […]

Staying Current in HR 2011 Survey Results

Human resources and employment law information — like everything else — is available in multiple formats from multiple sources. So whom do HR pros trust to help them stay current on human resources and employment law issues and in what format? Each year we ask our  readers to tell us about their favorite sources to […]

Nevada Law Protecting Gender Identity, Expression Goes Into Effect Saturday

A new Nevada law adding gender identity and expression to the list of protected characteristics goes into effect Saturday, October 1. The new law broadly defines gender identity and expression as the “gender-related identity, appearance, expression or behavior of a person, regardless of the person’s assigned sex at birth.” Details about the new law were […]

Connecticut Restricts Using Credit Scores in Hiring

By John Herrington On October 1, Connecticut becomes the most recent state to limit employers’ use of credit histories in employment decisions. The state joins Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, and Washington in making restrictions. The new law – Public Act No. 11-223 – prohibits any Connecticut employer with more than one employee from requiring “an […]

House Panel Assails NLRB’s Recent ‘Union Favoritism’

Controversy surrounding actions coming out of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) intensified on September 22 when a congressional committee examined what the panel’s chairman called the agency’s “assault on American workers and job creators.” The House Education and the Workforce Committee, chaired by Representative John Kline, a Minnesota Republican, titled the hearing “Culture of […]

IRS Offering Employers Break on Misclassification

Employers worried that they may have misclassified independent contractors may find relief in a new program from the IRS. The Voluntary Classification Settlement Program (VCSP) was announced September 21 and offers employers the opportunity to get into compliance by making a minimal payment covering past payroll tax obligations rather than waiting for an IRS audit. […]

New Maryland Law Restricts Use of Credit Checks

By David M. Stevens During its 2011 legislative session, the Maryland Legislature passed the Job Applicant Fairness Act, which was signed into law by Governor Martin O’Malley on April 12. The law imposes significant restrictions on employers’ ability to perform credit checks on job applicants and employees. It goes into effect October 1. For many […]

Maine Tightens Up Law on Service Animals

Until recently, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations were quite broad in their definition of “service animal,” but that changed earlier this year. Now Maine, which had kept the definition loose in state law, also is tightening up on what constitutes a service animal. Employers must provide reasonable accommodations not only for employees with disabilities […]