• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

Hiring

Charlotte-Meck to run criminal checks on current employees

01/27/2009

After a teacher was caught using heroin in an elementary school classroom, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools decided it needed to do more than check newly hired employees for criminal records.

Senate begins confirming Obama’s HR-related Cabinet nominees

01/21/2009

Expect swift confirmation of President Obama’s nominees to head the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security, Labor and Justice. And expect the Obama administration to take a far harder line than the Bush administration did against organizations that break employment-related laws.

Are we required to send job-offer letters?

01/16/2009

Q. Are we required to give applicants official offer letters? What does a letter have to spell out?

Hire illegals? Feds send message with record fine

01/16/2009

IFCO Systems, the nation’s largest pallet manufacturer, agreed last month to pay a record $20.7 million fine to settle claims that it knowingly employed illegal immigrants.

State agency cuts drug testing to stretch shrinking budget

01/16/2009

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) has stopped conducting drug tests on job applicants as a cost-cutting measure. DCFS introduced the drug tests in February 2008 for all applicants for jobs that involved direct contact with children and families.

Independent contractor can sue top contractor for injuries

01/15/2009

If you thought that one advantage of using independent contractors was that those contractors couldn’t sue you for injuries suffered at work, think again.

Don’t assume privacy clause guarantees privacy

01/15/2009

Some employers include a privacy clause in their applications and handbooks that tells employees they can opt out of having their names and addresses released to third parties. However, if a worker who is suing for wage-and-hour violations wants to get his hands on employee names and contact information for the purpose of building a class-action case, those privacy clauses can’t stop it.

Immigration compliance issues and changes to track in 2009

01/15/2009

Employers have a number of immigration compliance issues to track in 2009, affecting the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9, business travel, no-match letters and employment authorization documentation.

Use this simple rule when interviewing: If it could be a slur, don’t say it

01/15/2009

Remind all hiring managers and supervisors that absolutely no racial slurs are allowed during an interview—not even in passing or in jest. Applicants who aren’t hired will get a jury trial if they can show that someone with hiring authority uttered a racial slur.

Watch out for rogue managers who bring hidden biases to hiring, promotions

01/13/2009

If the workplace rumor mill tells you that one of your managers or supervisors may harbor antiquated ideas about equality, watch out—especially if he or she has any input into hiring and promotion decisions. Instead, investigate the rumors and take a look at past hiring practices.