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Hiring

Can we request applicants’ Facebook passwords?

06/25/2012
Q. We have heard that employers are increasingly screening applicants online, including by going to their Facebook pages. Can we require an applicant who has a private Facebook page to give us the password to that page?

Online portal helps Hertz attract military hires

06/19/2012
To boost its hiring of military veterans, Hertz has launched a website devoted to recruiting them and their spouses. Hertz participates in the White House job-creating coalition known as “Joining Forces,” and has pledged to hire hundreds of returning veterans over the next few years.

It’s time to review your criminal history screening practices

06/18/2012
In April, the EEOC issued a new Enforcement Guidance document on the use of criminal history information in making hiring and other employment decisions. In light of the guidance and the EEOC’s increased focus on discrimination in hiring, employers should review and update their criminal history screening policies and practices.

Former employee who sued applies for new job? Take extra care about who does the hiring

06/18/2012
Sometimes, employers settle an employee lawsuit and expect that to be the end of the matter. But unless the settlement includes an agreement not to apply for any new job openings, the former employee may do just that. And if he’s not hired, he may allege retaliation for prior litigation.

7 ways to limit your social media liability

06/14/2012

Online social networking sites provide a variety of benefits to organizations. They can help you collect industry-based knowledge, reach new customers, build your brand and publicize your company’s name and reputation. But those benefits come with their fair share of legal risks. You need a comprehensive social media policy to guide employees on your expectations about their online behavior.

‘Projectlications’: The future of smart hiring?

06/11/2012
Realizing that no amount of interviewing or psychological tests can substitute for seeing an applicant perform the task at hand, more employers these days are asking candidates to do serious work to get a serious job offer, according to a Harvard Business Review article.

New scrutiny may change the way employers access social media

06/08/2012
Before you plunge into cyberspace in search of information on applicants (or current employees), understand the legal implications. Employers’ efforts to access employees’ and applicants’ private social media websites have re­­cently been subject to increased scrutiny by New York and federal legislators.

Court: No free lawyer unless case has real merit

06/08/2012
There is no constitutional right to a free attorney in employment dis­­crimination cases. Unless a so-called pro se litigant can show the court that his claim clearly has merit, he’ll have to serve as his own lawyer.

Feds consider revisions to I-9 verification form

06/07/2012
That infamous I-9 employment verification form you must complete for each new employee may be going through some changes soon. The USCIS recently published a draft of revisions to the I-9 form and requested public comment on the proposed changes.

EEOC’s new guidance on criminal background checks

05/30/2012
Earlier this year, the EEOC issued up­­dated guidance on how employers should use arrest and con­­viction records when making hiring decisions. If you use criminal background checks to screen applicants and employees, this affects you! Fact: Checks that were once routine are now under the gun.