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Hiring

It’s OK to have higher expectations of employees during probationary period

12/01/2007

If your organization uses a probationary period to test out employees before making permanent hiring decisions, know that you can—and perhaps should—expect more during that period than you may later. It’s not unreasonable to expect new employees to be on their best behavior …

Reporting requirements under the Georgia New Hire Reporting Program

12/01/2007

Q. I’ve heard that Georgia law requires employers to report new hires to the Georgia Department of Labor, but I can’t find any such requirement in the department’s rules …

TWC to share information on employment tax schemes with IRS

12/01/2007

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) recently agreed to tell the IRS about employers that fail to properly pay state unemployment insurance taxes. The TWC joins 28 other state work force agencies in entering the new initiative, which expands on existing data-sharing efforts between federal and state agencies …

Pilgrim’s Pride to pay $1 million to 5,300 applicants

12/01/2007

The nation’s largest poultry producer—Texas-based Pilgrim’s Pride Corp.—recently agreed to pay $1 million to settle allegations that it discriminated on the basis of sex and ethnicity in hiring …

Negligent hiring in case of Marion VAMC surgeon?

12/01/2007

The panel that hired Dr. Jose Veizaga-Mendez as a surgeon for the Marion Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) is under scrutiny after he was implicated in nine suspicious deaths. A check into Veizaga-Mendez’s records revealed that he lost his license in Massachusetts in 2006 over accusations of “grossly” substandard care …

Employers not liable for employee crime outside work

12/01/2007

California employers can rest easy—they aren’t liable for criminal acts their employees may undertake outside the workplace or their job responsibilities. That’s true even if the employee uses work-related materials to commit the crime, and the employer missed important clues in a background check …

Verifying I-9 document

12/01/2007

Q. It is my understanding that employers are required to view I-9 verifying documents within three business days of an employee’s hire. My company hires employees in various states, and I cannot personally view the I-9 documentation of the out-of-state employees. What process is acceptable for completion of the I-9 verification process if I cannot personally view the required documentation? …

RCI Inc. guilty of hiring illegal immigrants

12/01/2007

Richard Rosenbaum, former president of RCI Inc., pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, to multiple counts of harboring illegal immigrants, tax evasion and fraud. Rosenbaum owes $16 million in restitution to the federal government and must forfeit more than $1.1 million in personal assets …

Illegal status doesn’t bar employee’s discrimination claim

12/01/2007

While it may be unlawful to employ illegal immigrants under the Immigration Reform and Control Act, that doesn’t mean undocumented employees can’t sue for alleged employment discrimination based on other factors, such as pregnancy. Federal courts will still entertain discrimination lawsuits, ignoring illegal status …

Pending ‘No-Match’ rules put employers in difficult positions

12/01/2007

The Social Security Administration every year sends thousands of “no-match” letters to employers asking for help matching Social Security numbers with employee names. In recent years, however, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has sought to transform the no-match letter system into a mechanism for enforcing laws against illegal immigration …