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Hiring

Are there privacy concerns when I use social media to check out applicants?

07/23/2010
Q. Am I invading applicants’ privacy by reviewing their Facebook, MySpace, blogs and Twitter feeds?

Am I allowed to check social media web sites for information on job applicants?

07/23/2010
Q. Is it OK for me to consider information about a job applicant that I learn by using Google, viewing Facebook pages and reviewing Twitter feeds?

Charlotte company learns the hard way: You will pay for bias

07/23/2010

Junior Revels, age 76, has been a diesel mechanic for a long time. So long, in fact, that when he applied for a job at Southern Metals in Charlotte, the company flat out told him it had decided to hire someone younger. Bad move.

The HR I.Q. Test: July ’10

07/16/2010
Test your knowledge of recent trends in employment law, comp & benefits and other HR issues with our monthly mini-quiz …

Trial likely in ADA suit against Hibbing Taconite

07/15/2010

An EEOC disability discrimination suit against Hibbing Taconite seems likely headed for trial after a federal district court judge refused to dismiss charges against the Mesabi Iron Range mining firm. The case involves a hearing-impaired job applicant with years of mining experience, whom the company refused to hire, according to the EEOC complaint.

One wrong word can launch a lawsuit: Warn bosses about the danger of ageist comments

07/15/2010
Following past recessions, hiring typically took place across the age spectrum once recovery began. Not this time. The Great Recession and its hiring hangover have hit older workers particularly hard. That’s sure to mean more lawsuits. Employment lawyers smell blood and will soon be going after employers they perceive as having policies biased against hiring older workers.

Post all open positions to avoid litigation

07/13/2010

Here’s an easy way to prevent a failure-to-hire lawsuit: Routinely advertise all open positions and let employees and applicants know how to look for opportunities. Otherwise, you could be sued by an employee or potential applicant, alleging that she would have applied if she had only known about the opening.

Are we eligible for new state job tax credits?

07/09/2010
Q. Our company wants to apply for tax credits under Illinois Senate Bill 1578. How do we know if we’re eligible?

Don’t ask for unlimited medical exam consent

07/08/2010
Under the ADA, medical exams are allowed only if needed to determine whether an employee requires a reasonable accommodation or if the employer believes the employee will be unable to safely perform the job. But can employers require employees to agree to more extensive medical examinations as a condition of employment? Probably not.

10 ways to ‘green’ your employee benefits

07/07/2010

Vouchers for compact fluorescent light bulbs and rooftop solar panels have taken their place next to health insurance and flextime as popular employee benefits. Young job-seekers want to work for socially responsible, environmentally friendly companies. That’s one reason more companies have begun offering “green” employee benefits.