Last week, NLRB General Counsel Peter Robb issued a lengthy 20-page memorandum (GC 18-04) providing detailed guidance regarding enforcement of “Handbook Rules Post-Boeing.” In The Boeing Co., 365 NLRB No. 154 (Dec. 14, 2017), the Board established a new standard governing…
HR News
Labor Department Says Gig Workers Are Fewer Than Thought
The gig economy is smaller than we think. Or maybe, it’s how we think of the gig economy that has resulted in estimates that a third of the workforce are part of it and that 57 million people earned money…
Supreme Court Rules In Favor of Baker In Wedding Cake Discrimination
The US Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a Colorado baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. However, the 7-2 decision sets no precedent, instead the majority said the Colorado Civil Rights Commission showed a…
A ‘Green Card’ Crash Course for HR Pros
Sponsoring an employee to become a “lawful permanent resident” of the United States – i.e., to become a green card holder – can be a valuable recruiting and retention tool. Many foreign national workers crave the stability that comes with having…
Epic Shift: Court’s Class Action Decision Could Limit #MeToo Cases
The Supreme Court’s landmark decision yesterday on arbitration agreements has widespread implications for all employers. In Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, a 5-4 opinion written by Justice Gorsuch, the Supreme Court held that arbitration agreements and class/collective action waivers are…
Supreme Court Says Employers Can Force Workers Into Arbitration Instead of Class Action Suits
Editor’s note: A sharply divided U.S. Supreme Court today ruled that employers can force workers to go to arbitration over workplace grievances, rather than filing lawsuits. The 5-4 decision by the court’s more conservative members upholds arbitration clauses in employment…
The Gender Pay Gap Is Also an Opportunity Gap
The current business climate has created a new focus, and even spurred new laws aimed at achieving equal pay, but not enough progress has been made. PayScale’s new research found that the gender pay gap still persists into 2018. Looking…
What You Need to Know About Massachusetts’ Updated Pay Equity Law
Back in 1945, Massachusetts became the first state in the country to pass an equal pay law. But despite its efforts, the gender pay gap unfortunately persisted. According to Mass.gov, women working full time in Massachusetts earn, on average, about…
If Your Office Is Dim, So Are You
“Dim lights are producing dimwits” – Joel Soler, American psychologist Do you find a dimly-lit workspace preferable to a brightly-lit office? Some people do. Perhaps you find it calming and relaxing; or maybe the setting makes you feel comfortable at a…
Glassdoor Acquisition Is Another Step in Making Recruit Holdings a Global Employment Leader
Glassdoor, the employer reviews and jobs listing site, is being bought by Recruit Holdings, parent company of the international job board Indeed. The $1.2 billion sale was announced last night. Glassdoor will continue to operate “as a distinct and separate…
SHRM’s New TA Credential Is a Next Step In Reengaging With Its Neglected Recruiting Members
SHRM’s new Talent Acquisition Specialty Credential, announced last week, is as much a symbol of the organization’s new embrace of recruiting as it is a badge of HR focus. Two years in the development, the credential is perhaps the most…
What Can We Do About an Employee Showing Signs of Mental Decline?
Dear Littler: We have an employee who is exhibiting signs of dementia or some other sort of cognitive impairment. He has fallen asleep at work a few times recently and seems confused by tasks that did not pose any problem for…
California Court’s Worker Classification Ruling Has Broad Implications for Gig Workers
A three-part test announced Monday by the California Supreme Court has far-reaching implications for who in the state can be classified as an independent contractor. The 7-0 decision in a case brought by drivers working for a delivery company squarely…
The U.K.’s Bradford Factor: A Tool for Monitoring Unplanned Absences
The “Bradford factor” describes the use of a special formula that calculates a score for each individual employee based on the amount of absences they have had, and the length of those absences. This formula is used in order to…
EEO-1 Survey Deadline Extended to June 1
The EEOC is extending the filing deadline for the 2017 EEO-1 survey until June 1. Although the majority of employers met the original March 31 deadline, so many employers requested last minute technical assistance with the electronic filing that the…
New Tip-Sharing Rules for Tipped Employees
On March 27, 2018, President Donald Trump signed into law Congress’s $1.3 trillion, 2,232-page omnibus budget bill, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018. Notably, on page 2,025, Congress amended the Fair Labor Standards Act by addressing rules affecting tipped employees and…
Now, Being a Great Place to Work Means Great For Each Employee
Last month I attended the Great Place to Work Institute’s annual conference, and once again I was struck by how things have changed. Great Place to Work Institute (aka GPTW) is the organization responsible for Fortune’s annual “100 Best Companies to Work For”…
Appeals Court Says Prior Salary Doesn’t Justify Pay Differences
Just in time for Equal Pay Day, a federal appeals court today ruled today that an employee’s salary history alone is insufficient to justify pay differences between male and female employees. “Reliance on past wages simply perpetuates the past pervasive…
Premium Processing of H-1B Applications Is Again Suspended
Just days before the the first wave of new H-1B applications begins to arrive, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services suspended premium processing. It’s the second time in two years the government halted the expedited handling program. It expects the…
‘Ground-Breaking’ Ruling Says Transgender Discrimination Is Covered by Title VII
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit recently ruled, in what many have described as a ground-breaking decision, that discrimination based on an employee’s transgender status is discrimination based on “sex” in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights…