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EEOC: U.S. Steel blew it with random alcohol testing policy

11/11/2010
The EEOC has sued U.S. Steel—with Minnesota operations in Hibbing, Ishpeming, Keewatin and Mountain Iron—because the company’s policy of randomly testing probationary employees for alcohol allegedly violates the ADA.

Palm Beach diocese wins grant to fight immigrant bias

11/08/2010
The Catholic Charities Diocese of Palm Beach is one of 13 recipients of U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) grant funds meant to aid victims of immigration discrimination.

It’s sometimes OK to ask about expunged records

11/08/2010
Florida’s criminal court dockets are so overloaded that some relatively minor offenses are never tried. And courts often expunge arrest records so people who were charged but never convicted can move on without the shadow of a criminal record hanging over them, affecting their ability to work. However, in Florida, some employers can still ask about expunged criminal records.

Temp-to-permanent promotions the norm? Check for unintentional bias toward one group

11/08/2010

Sometimes it makes sense to appoint workers to temporarily fill vacancies and then use your formal promotion process to make permanent appointments. But that practice carries some risk. You could wind up in court if you make those temporary appointments permanent.

Drugs at work: Cocaine use declines again, but use of prescription opiates rises sharply

11/08/2010
Use of prescription opiates (hydrocondone, oxycondone, etc.) by employees and applicants rose 18% in the past year and has grown 40% since 2005, according to 5 million drug tests done by testing firm Quest. The report also says cocaine use among workers continues to decline (down 29% from 2008 to 2009).

New hire a dud? Have hiring manager fire

11/05/2010
Here’s a practice you should make standard operating procedure: Have the same manager who makes hiring decisions also make the firing decisions. Doing so will cut the chances of a successful discrimination lawsuit.

The HR I.Q. Test: November ’10

11/05/2010
Test your knowledge of recent trends in employment law, comp & benefits and other HR issues with our monthly mini-quiz …

ICE: Immigration enforcement hits record levels

11/04/2010
Since January 2009, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have audited more than 3,200 employers suspected of hiring undocumented workers, which ICE says is more than the total amount of audits during the entire Bush administration.

Deluged with résumés? How to be a speed weeder

11/02/2010
Reading every word on every résumé simply isn’t a luxury HR professionals can afford. If you quickly scan résumés, however, you probably live in constant fear of discarding potential winners. Advice: Spot-read résumés during the first round to determine if they merit a more detailed review.

5th Cir. Court of Appeals rejects DOL interpretation of guest worker minimum-wage requirement

11/01/2010
In a sign that some courts are flexing their muscles and resisting attempts by the U.S. Department of Labor to crack down on employers, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected an effort to force employers to cover more guest worker costs.