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Hiring

As ye ask, so shall ye receive

11/01/2007

It’s OK to pay employees more if they negotiate harder during an interview, an Ohio court recently affirmed in a lawsuit against the Grande Pointe residential care facility in Richmond Heights …

Family-Responsibility discrimination: A growing trend

11/01/2007

The EEOC has issued new enforcement guidance concerning disparate treatment of workers with caregiving responsibilities—or “family-responsibility discrimination.” The guidelines are designed to help determine whether a particular employment decision is discriminatory. Family-responsibility discrimination is not a new type of discrimination, but rather an application of the existing discrimination laws to a situation that is drawing increasing attention …

Statements about race may trigger reverse discrimination

11/01/2007

When it comes to reverse discrimination, comments by senior managers may backfire if others perceive them as encouraging racial preferences. For example, when a high-level executive comments that the organization needs more black employees in management positions, hiring managers could construe it as authorization to bypass qualified white candidates in favor of black candidates with lesser qualifications …

Open accommodations: Sonoma settles agoraphobia case

11/01/2007

In a case filed by a 24-year human services department employee who was diagnosed with panic disorder and agoraphobia, Sonoma County agreed to settle a claim that the county failed to accommodate his disability …

Use cutoff point on promotion list to lessen legal risk

11/01/2007

To lower the risk of a failure-to-promote lawsuit, consider creating a cutoff point on your internal promotion list. For example, instead of considering all 15 potential candidates for an open position, consider just the top three. The disappointed candidates lower on the list will have a tougher time getting to court …

How do oral promises affect an ‘Employment contract’?

11/01/2007

Q. Do oral promises my employer made during my job interview or during my employment constitute part of my contract of employment? …

School system tends to new teachers’ personal needs

11/01/2007

Many of the new teachers who take jobs with the Charles County, MD, public school system need help adjusting to small-town life after they are hired. That help comes in the form of a teacher-services department staffed by a secretary, a veteran teacher and an HR specialist …

How should we go about developing written job descriptions?

11/01/2007

Q. My family has operated a small medical supply business for many years. Lately, our business has really taken off, and we now have more than 20 employees in different job categories. We are wondering whether we should develop written job descriptions for the different positions. If so, where should we begin? …

Should you try to win over job candidate’s parents, too?

11/01/2007

“What do you think, Mom?” College grads entering the work world are likely to ask such questions when weighing job offers, according to a new study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). As a result, some employers are reaching out to parents, but overdoing it can be a turnoff …

DOT squeaks by drug-Test leak

11/01/2007

Peter Giaccio Jr., a boilermaker for New York City’s Department of Transportation (DOT), sued the department for leaking the results of a random drug test that revealed marijuana use. Giaccio, being in a “safety-sensitive” position, was subject to random testing, which he failed twice …