By Jessica Cook
On Monday, April 2, 2012, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting FY 2013 H-1B cap-subject petitions for employment starting on October 1, 2012.
U.S. businesses use the H-1B visa to employ foreign workers in “professional” or “specialty occupation” positions. The H-1B visa allows for six (6) years of employment in the United States, which is extendable if the company sponsors the individual for permanent residence. Read more…
Are you crystal clear on FMLA rules?
According to Employers Resource Association, Family Medical and Leave Act rules are the top concern of HR and benefits professionals based on the 8,000 calls to its hotline in 2011. An HR professional, for instance, might struggle with answering, “Can a father with a newborn child take time away, under the law?” or “How can a daughter with an ailing mother go part-time under FMLA?”
Honestly, it’s a rare HR professional who knows the answers by heart. I typically half remember these kinds of legal answers but desperately want to fact check myself before sounding the fool. Where does that leave employees? Hands thrown up in surrender, long before they even open up their SPD (summary plan description)? Read more…
By Eric B. Meyer
The Family and Medical Leave Act allows an employer to require that a employee’s request for FMLA leave be supported by a certification issued by the employee’s health care provider. Here’s an example of one of the right ways to do this, from a recent federal-court decision.
Mr. Poling did not identify the FMLA-related reason for his absence. Still, Core gave Poling three separate chances to furnish a medical certification to justify his FMLA absence. After three strikes, Poling was out. That is to say, he was fired.
On September 20, 2008, Terry Poling called Core Molding Technologies at 3:35 p.m., leaving a voice mail message that stated: “Terry Poling, Night Shift, FMLA.” Read more…
Second of two parts
By Dr. John Sullivan
Yesterday I listed The Top 30 Most Common (and Critical) Interview Problems. Here are 20 more. In total, this makes up the Top 50 interview problems:
If you study the research on interviews, you will find that there are many psychology related issues. Read more…
First of two parts
By Dr. John Sullivan
What’s wrong with corporate job interviews? Pretty much everything!
Interviews are the second most used and “flawed” tool in HR (right after performance appraisals). They are used and relied on around the world for hiring, transfers, promotions, and for selecting leaders.
After studying and researching interviews for over 40 years, I find it laughable when people think they can become interview experts simply by conducting a few of them. Despite their many flaws, my purpose is not to tell you to stop using interviews. Instead, the goal is to make you aware of the things that can negatively impact the results of an interview. My premise is that if you encounter these problems and you understand their causes, you can take steps to avoid or minimize them. Read more…
Anybody who has spent much time in or around HR knows this to be a fact: a tremendous amount of time and personal effort goes into getting (and keeping) human resource certifications.
Gerry Ledford got into this a few weeks ago here at TLNT in his article Do Professional HR Certifications Really Help Job Seekers?, and he did a pretty good job of digging into the ambivalence that so many have about the certification process.
Well, good things seem to come in pairs, because now Laurie Ruettimann — HR pro and author of The Cynical Girl blog — has weighed in on HR certifications as well. And as usual with Laurie, she cuts to the heart of the matter when she asks, What the Hell is an SPHR?: Read more…
By Eric B. Meyer
The U.S. Department of Labor announced that it is issuing proposed rules that would expand military family leave provisions under the Family and Medical Leave Act and incorporate a special eligibility provision for airline flight crew employees.
The DOL press release describes the two proposed changes as follows:
The proposed language would extend the entitlement of military caregiver leave to family members of veterans for up to five years after leaving the military. At this time, the law only covers family members of “currently serving” service members. Additionally, the proposal expands the military family leave provisions of the FMLA by extending qualifying exigency leave to employees whose family members serve in the regular armed forces. Currently, the law only covers families of National Guard members and reservists. Read more…
Professional HR certifications have become commonplace in the past 20 years.
The HR Certification Institute (HRCI), affiliated with SHRM, has awarded the PHR (Professional in Human Resources) and two other certifications to 115,000 professionals. WorldatWork has awarded a CCP (Certified Compensation Professional) and five other specialized certifications to 22,000 rewards professionals.
Anne Ruddy, President and CEO of WorldatWork, reports that over half of all WorldatWork certifications have been awarded in the past 10 years. Other organizations also offer HR certifications, including the Human Capital Institute and many universities.
Both HRCI and WorldatWork report that relevant certifications are often required for HR positions, that payment for most certifications is provided by the employee’s organization, and that testimonials and survey data indicate that HR professionals value certifications. Read more…
Flying home last week from the wintry Northwest, I heard lots of sneezing and sniffles from my fellow travelers.
Although we’ve been lucky to have such a mild winter so far, cold January weather usually brings with it the onslaught of cold and flu season. In a typical year, 5 to 20 percent of the population in the U.S. will get the flu, according to www.flufacts.com , and some of your employees may end up with flu complications that may require a trip to the doctor or even hospitalization.
With the increased popularity of Consumer Driven Health Plans (CDHPs) that have a high deductible, many employees face out-of-pocket costs due to these flu complications or other medical expenses. Some employers have chosen to offset the high deductible found in a CDHP by funding a Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) or a Health Savings Account (HSA) with an employer contribution. Other employers offer their workforce the ability to set aside tax-free dollars in an HSA or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) through payroll deduction. Read more…
By Edwin G. Foulke Jr.
All employers maintaining the Occupational Safety and Health Administration‘s 300 Logs for workplace injuries and illnesses pursuant to OSHA’s recordkeeping standard must post their 2011 annual summary by February 1, 2012.
Employers must utilize the annual summary form (form 300A) when complying with the posting requirements. The form is available for downloading from the OSHA website.
Here are some details about the form that are frequently misunderstood or overlooked and which can cause trouble. Read more…
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“Great point! What else will they want control over?!”
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