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Hiring

EEOC tries to clarify rules on H.S. diploma requirement

04/06/2012
After the EEOC’s informal discussion letter about ­employers’ use of high school diplomas as a hiring prerequisite “caused significant commentary and conjecture,” the EEOC decided last month to issue additional guidance to help clarify the issue.

FDNY’s discrimination tab could reach $65M

04/03/2012
A federal judge has called for lawyers to serve as “special masters” to decide how to allocate money for minority job applicants who were unfairly denied jobs with the Fire Department of the City of New York. The DOJ filed suit on behalf of minorities who complained they were not hired because of their race.

Do we have to post all jobs internally?

03/29/2012
Q. We rarely post high-level management jobs internally. Must all jobs be posted internally so someone can’t file suit claiming “pre-selection” or that he never had a chance to apply?

Beat ‘talent paradox’ to hire the employees you need

03/29/2012
Hiring should be easy these days! Unemployment remains high and struggling companies have had to let great people go. Supply should exceed demand. So why is it so hard to hire the employees you need? It’s the “talent paradox”—despite lots of candidates, employers still see significant shortages in critical talent areas. Here’s a blueprint for beating it.

Foreign-born worker sues? Know difference between national origin and immigration status

03/29/2012
While it is illegal to discriminate against an individual based on his or her national origin, that doesn’t mean that discrimination against someone based on her immigration status is forbidden. That’s because immigration status isn’t tied to a particular national origin.

Greensboro mulls settlement in race discrimination lawsuit

03/23/2012
The city of Greensboro is considering an offer to settle a racial discrimi­­na­­tion lawsuit filed by longtime athletic director Jean Jackson. Jackson, who is black, claims the city regularly promotes white employees to management jobs without openly advertising the positions.

No application on file, no failure-to-hire claim

03/22/2012

People who want a job must actually apply for it before they can allege they weren’t hired for discriminatory reasons. It’s easy to prove someone didn’t apply. Simply post job openings and retain all applications.

Let ’em know: Post all promotion opportunities

03/12/2012

Here’s an easy fix for a poten­tially big problem: Post all promotion openings. If you do, only employees who actually apply can take you to court. That can save thousands in legal fees and lost pro­ductivity.

2 great candidates? Document why you chose 1

03/09/2012

How you choose among candidates for promotion may spell the difference be­­tween losing and winning a lawsuit. Always document the decision-making process, especially when candidates are equally qualified. Later, you may have to explain the decision in court—and your reason had better be a good, business-related one.

Can we ask about disabilities before hiring?

03/08/2012
Q. We recently extended an employment offer to someone who was later determined to be unable to perform the job’s essential functions due to a visual impairment. As a result, we wasted a significant amount of time. Aren’t workers obligated under the ADA to disclose that they suffer from a disability?