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Hiring

Accept public funds? Then don’t use religion as basis for making employment decisions

10/05/2009

Businesses and nonprofits that receive taxpayer money and contract with government agencies to provide services may be prohibited from using religious criteria in hiring and firing. And hiring on the basis of someone’s religious beliefs or affiliation may be proof that an employer has crossed the line.

Worker confidence in economy is up, study shows

10/05/2009

Is it because the other shoe hasn’t yet dropped—or is the economy really stabilizing? Whether it’s perception or reality, workers tell researchers they’re feeling more confident these days. The picture in Ohio, however remains a little gloomier than the rest of the country.

Parma cable company sued for sex discrimination

10/05/2009

The EEOC has sued Digital Cable and Communications South, a Parma-based cable TV installation company, for allegedly refusing to hire female applicants for cable technician jobs.

Firing for positive drug test? Prepare to defend test validity

10/05/2009

Generally, employees can appeal if they’re denied unemployment compensation because they were fired for cause. To win, they must show they were fired without just cause. However, the rules change when an employee is fired for a positive drug test.

Is our affirmative action plan a Catch-22?

10/02/2009

Q. Our company maintains an affirmative action plan. I’m concerned, however, that if we refuse to hire a white applicant because of the plan, that person might be able to sue us for discrimination. Yet, if we don’t follow the plan, minority applicants can sue us. It seems like a Catch-22. What do we do?

It’s final: Federal contractors must use E-Verify

10/02/2009

The federal government’s requirement that contractors confirm employee eligibility through Homeland Security’s E-Verify database has overcome its final legal hurdle. Several government contractors had sued to block implementation of the online verification requirement, but a federal court decision in Maryland cleared the way for it to take effect.

What kinds of employers does the Illinois Employee Classification Act cover?

10/01/2009

Q. What is the Illinois Employee Classification Act? I’m not sure if it applies to my company.

Cherryville builder settles sex bias suit for $200K

09/29/2009

Cherryville-based R-Anell Housing has agreed to a $200,000 settlement with the EEOC after the company refused to hire female applicants. According to the EEOC, the modular home building company maintains a sex-segregated workplace that “has the effect of denying female employees equal employment opportunities.”

Beware bloated résumés: Extra skills don’t necessarily mean better-qualified person

09/18/2009

Employees who want a promotion sometimes get upset when they aren’t selected, especially if the job winds up going to someone they perceive as less skilled or talented. But if the spurned employee’s extra skills or training weren’t necessary, they aren’t particularly relevant.

The new E-Verify mandate: Who must comply?

09/18/2009

A federal court brushed aside last-minute legal appeals from business groups, allowing implementation of the new E-Verify mandate for federal contractors, effective on Sept. 8. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services published a list of frequently asked questions about the new rules, including who must comply and how. Go to www.uscis.gov/everify.