Ver la versión en español aquí Rumors of more potential layoffs have been circulating for quite some time at the once internet giant, Yahoo. Despite reductions in its workforce by 14% in 2014, Yahoo’s economic woes continue. So, it was not necessarily a surprise when approximately 30 employees were laid off in late January even … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí If you ring in the New Year with a list of new year’s resolutions, chances are, your business should, too. For those who prefer to learn from others’ mistakes before they become their own, here is one simple resolution to put at the top of your HR Team’s list … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí Title VII, through the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA), has expressly prohibited pregnancy discrimination since 1978. Thirteen years later, the Supreme Court, in Johnson Controls, told us that even well-intentioned, but facially discriminatory, gender and pregnancy based employment policies — like Johnson Control’s policy of prohibiting fertile women from working … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí You’ve always treated your employees fairly, even when the relationship doesn’t work out and you have to let the employee go or when you’ve had to terminate employees due to downsizing. Often, you agree to continue the employee’s benefits for a few months during a severance period. You know … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí Our 25th Annual Labor & Employment Law Seminar is a wrap. Wow, 25 years goes by in the blink of an eye! Each year, our seminar continues to grow. Thank you to the attendees who have been with us from the beginning and the newcomers who attended for their first time this year. With over … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí Did you see Jon Lester pitch for the Red Sox against the Yankees a few days ago? I bet you more money than Floyd Mayweather made in his fight against Manny Pacquiao that you didn’t. There is no way you could have. That’s because Lester does not pitch for … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí Employers rely on background screening as part of the hiring process. Recently, numerous large, well-known employers have been accused of failing to comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”). Why is this happening? The issue is the legality of the forms these employers may be using to obtain applicants’ authorizations to collect background … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí How’s this for news? A.K. Verma, an engineer for the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) in India, was recently fired after last showing up for work in December 1990. Verma left work sick one morning in 1990. He requested leave and then sought an extension of his initial leave. … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí Lots of people make New Year’s resolutions: to lose weight, quit smoking, stop procrastinating, and so on. With a week left in this very eventful year for employers, now is a great time to look back at the year we’ve had with an eye toward the challenges and concerns … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí Employee: “Hi, Ms. HR Manager, here’s my new Social Security Number. And I also have a new work authorization document.” Ms. HR Manager: “Huh, you’ve worked here three years. This Social Security Number is different from the one on your Form I-9. Is it Friday yet?” You may have … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí We have a time-out circle in my house, and from time to time, my preschool-age son visits the circle. Time-outs separate him from whatever undesirable behavior or activity he is engaged in – such as whining, arguing about brushing his teeth or throwing his toys – and give him … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí Earlier this month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the unemployment rate dropped to 5.9 percent, the lowest it’s been since July 2008, and employers added 248,000 new jobs to their payrolls. Given the uptick in hiring, it is a good time for employers to review their … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí E-Verify is an online application that allows participating employers to verify electronically the employment eligibility of new hires. It is jointly operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA). To participate in E-Verify, an employer must sign a multi-page Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with … Continue Reading
I wish I had $5 for every time I hear an employer say, “Florida is a right-to-work state, so doesn’t that mean I can terminate an employee for any reason?” Well, sort of, but you have confused the concepts of “right to work” and “at will” employment. Meaning of “Right to Work State” When we … Continue Reading
(in other words, do as Steve Miller says) I think most would agree that loyalty is right up there among the most desirable employee traits (and if you disagree, please don’t stop reading . . . I spent a precious weekend writing this blog). Assessing employee loyalty can be difficult. Don’t expect an employee to … Continue Reading
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is the federal law regulating, among other things, background checks that employers conduct on applicants for employment and employees. Employers who use third parties to provide background reports on employees or potential employees know that they must make certain disclosures before taking any adverse action based in whole or … Continue Reading
On September 8, 2011, President Obama presented to Congress the “American Jobs Act.” Buried in the proposed bill is a section called the “Fair Employment Opportunity Act of 2011,” making it unlawful for employers with 15 or more employees and employment agencies to discriminate against job applicants based on their status as unemployed. If passed, the … Continue Reading
On his first day in office as Florida’s governor, Rick Scott signed Executive Order 11-02, mandating that state agencies under the direction of the governor to use the federal government’s E-Verify system to verify the work authorization and identity of all current employees and new hires. The Executive Order also required that all agencies under … Continue Reading
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the federal statute that places limits on an employer’s ability to use background checks on employees and potential hires, will soon add a new requirement. Employers’ use of background checks, and credit history checks in particular, has come under scrutiny. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has pursued disparate impact … Continue Reading
Tennessee and Alabama joined the growing list of states requiring certain employers within the state to use E-Verify when hiring new workers. The Alabama law broad implications for individuals who are unlawfully present in the United States. Below, we will highlight the aspects of the statutes that impact employers doing business in Tennessee and … Continue Reading
For the second time this year, the USCIS has published an updated version of its Form I-9 Handbook for Employers. The most recent version of the Handbook can be accessed through the USCIS’s I-9 Central HERE (Click on the picture of the I-9 Handbook for employers in the right hand column). Earlier in June, the … Continue Reading
