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Consultants put Minneapolis in hot seat over fire protection

08/13/2012
The Minneapolis Fire Department isn’t adequately staffed and can’t cover the costs of “increasing sick-time usage, injury rates and overtime,” according to a report by a public safety consulting firm the city hired to analyze persistent staffing woes.

Hockey arena builder clanks pipe, breaks child labor laws

08/13/2012

When a St. Paul construction company hired members of the Crookston High School hockey team in 2010 to install drain pipes under the ice rinks at the Crookston Sports Center, it probably seemed like a great community project. In fact, Arena Systems committed the employment law equivalent of three coincidental major penalties.

Interviewee raises sensitive issue: Is it still bias?

08/13/2012

Q. I understand there are lots of questions we can’t ask during interviews. But what if the applicant brings up the subject? For example, if she mentions that she just had a baby, can I ask if she’s made child care arrangements? If a person is coming from out of town, I may ask why. If they say “boyfriend/girlfriend,” can I ask if it’s a permanent move?

EEOC is on the lookout for ‘beauty bias’

08/07/2012
The EEOC is investigating the Marylou’s Coffee chain, looking into its apparent practice of hiring attractive young women. According to the Fisher Phillips law firm, “the EEOC’s big adventure raises a troubling question: Is the EEOC trying to establish that it’s illegal for an employer to prefer attractive employees over unattractive ones?”

Arizona immigration law struck down: What it means

08/06/2012
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned many of the provisions in a controversial 2010 Arizona immigration law. The impact, according to the Foley Lardner law firm, could be a chilling effect on state immigration laws.

DOJ: Corpus Christi’s police tests biased against women

07/31/2012
Between 2005 and 2011, the Corpus Christi Police Department hired 113 male entry-level police officers—and just 12 women. The U.S. De­­part­­ment of Justice thinks it knows the reason for the disparity: a physical ability test that most men can pass but few women can.

Hiring ‘gut decisions’ are dangerous; back them with clear, objective criteria

07/31/2012

Most managers want to choose the best candidate for the job. But assessing what constitutes “best” can often feel a bit subjective. That’s OK. Just make sure you can point to objective factors that back up your choice, e.g., experience, education or even the most recent performance evaluation.

May we ever ask about applicant’s religion?

07/27/2012
Q. When, if ever, can our company legally ask an applicant about his or her religious affiliation?

How should we craft a policy allowing us to refuse to consider unsolicited résumés?

07/27/2012
Q. Our company doesn’t want to consider applicants who send in unsolicited résumés. We are trying to come up with a legally sound definition for “applicant” so we can write an official policy. Any suggestions?

How long should we keep applications?

07/20/2012
Q. We are swamped with applications, most from people who don’t meet our basic requirements. We typically toss out applications that clearly aren’t from qualified applicants. Should we keep copies?