• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

Hiring

Open internships to older, experienced applicants

09/29/2010

As you hire employees to replace the ones who leave your organization as the economy improves, you might find that experienced, mature workers are willing to work as interns to get their feet in the door. Nearly a quarter of employers said workers with 10-plus years of experience who are age 50 or older are applying for internships, according to a CareerBuilder poll.

Form I-9: What should I do if employee’s documentation has discrepancies?

09/28/2010
What’s an employer to do when the documents an employee presents to prove work eligibility don’t match up? Employment law attorney Nancy Delogu guides you through the process of determining where employer responsibilities stop and employee responsibilities start. Subscribers to the HR Specialist Premium Plus service can tap Delogu’s expertise weekly, through the web site’s members-only “Ask the Attorney” service. 

Early perks, paid volunteer time among benefits for new hires

09/28/2010
New hires at Cydcor don’t have to wait long for their benefits to kick in: Team members are eligible the month following their hire dates. Beginning in their first year, each employee receives 15 days of sick and vacation time. The organization also allows each employee to use eight paid workdays a year to volunteer off site.

You can’t hide behind your vendor! Before relying on tests, be sure they’re valid

09/24/2010

Are you considering using personality or other screening tests to decide which job applicants to hire? If so, make sure you fully understand what you are doing and how those tests work. There are plenty of companies eager to sell you tests and assessments that they say will take some of the work out of the screening processes. But if those tests aren’t valid and end up screening out members of a protected class, you may be buying more than a test.

Would-be bartender pours Applebee’s a shot of trouble

09/24/2010
An Applebee’s restaurant in Fayetteville is facing an EEOC sex discrimination lawsuit after managers allegedly reneged on a promise to promote Amanda Antisdel to a bartending position and then hired a less experienced man instead.

Is dyslexia an ADA disability?

09/24/2010
Q. Is dyslexia considered a disability under the ADA? Can we legally screen potential employees for it through our pre-employment tests?

May we ask applicants about criminal records?

09/24/2010
Q. We’re going back and forth on this question: On an employment application, can we legally ask about an applicant’s prior conviction record or arrest record?

Hazleton’s illegal-immigrant law overturned: Federal law prevails–for now

09/24/2010
The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals has overturned the city of Hazleton’s local ordinances that attempted to regulate employment of undocumented immigrants. The court reasoned that the federal government has the sole authority to oversee illegal immigration.

Get it in writing: Creating effective and legal job descriptions

09/24/2010
Job descriptions are the cornerstone of communication between management and staff. Good job descriptions make sure bosses and employees alike know what kind of performance is expected. They’re the basis of every effective performance-appraisal system. At a minimum, a job description should include these elements:

Strike 3 for bill banning applicant credit checks?

09/23/2010

The California State Senate and State Assembly have approved a bill that would restrict the use of credit reports by employers that conduct background checks on job applicants and employees. But enactment isn’t a sure thing, based on the recent history of similar legislation.