As companies struggle to attract and retain talent, perks and benefits have become something of a recruiting arms race. As a result, vendors who help companies provide perks like saving money on services employees already use are hot. One popular…
HR News
Appeals Court Says #MeToo Shows Employee Delay In Sex Harassment May Be Reasonable
In a July 3, 2018 opinion based in part on the revelations of the #MeToo era, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit held that an employee’s failure to report sexual harassment over a period of several years…
What Brexit Impacted Companies Need to Be Doing Now
For businesses that operate in the UK, the looming British exit from the European Union (“Brexit”) presents several challenges for managing employees who are EU nationals. Perhaps most significantly, EU nationals will need additional, visa-like documentation to work in the…
SHRM Members Take to Twitter to Condemn Taylor’s White House Photo Op
What in years past would have been considered a benign ceremony at which SHRM signed on to a new White House training initiative, has turned into a Twitter contretemps over the symbolism of the HR organization’s participation. “HR professionals supposedly…
A Look at How Brett Kavanaugh Could Shape Employment Law
Respect to the employment law bloggers, reporters, and others who have been trying to read the tea leaves to predict what Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s record as a jurist would foreshadow should he ascend to the U.S. Supreme Court. Discrimination claims…
In the Rush to Big Data, Don’t Ignore the Legal Risks
Dear Littler: We are revamping our online job application. I asked our HR director if we should eliminate the question asking about an applicant’s hobbies. Not only does she think we should keep the question, but she says we need to…
Fair Warning: You Could Be Criminally Charged In Anti-Poaching Cases
The U.S. Department of Justice put HR professionals on notice that they face the risk of criminal prosecution if they are linked to what is viewed as anti-competitive activity with competitors restricting employment opportunities, benefits and depressing wages, so-called anti-poaching…
9 Ways the NLRB Is Making It Easier to Revise Your Handbook
If you’re new to the field, you’ll have to take our word on it, but HR-compliance professionals know that drafting a 100% compliant employee handbook got a lot tougher over the past several years. Let’s forget about paid-sick-leave laws, ban-the-box, and…
NLRB Issues New Guidance on How It Will Interpret Handbook Rules
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…
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…