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Does newly married worker need new W-4, I-9?

07/17/2009

Q. When an employee gets married, do we need a new W-4 to show her new name? What about a new I-9?

Warn bosses: Pregnancy plans talk is off-limits

07/17/2009

Are some of your organization’s supervisors still stuck in the Dark Ages when it comes to attitudes about pregnancy, childbirth and child care? If so, your organization may be a few off-base questions away from triggering a discrimination lawsuit. Remind managers and supervisors to keep their opinions on mothers and motherhood to themselves.

The HR I.Q. Test: August ’09

07/17/2009

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

Are there ADA implications if we ask applicants to take personality tests?

07/17/2009

Q. We would like to administer personality tests to job applicants. Would this violate the ADA? A. Personality tests are a good example of the types of policies likely to be affected by the recently passed ADA Amendments Act of 2008 …

Pair of Supreme Court rulings redefine race, age bias

07/17/2009

In the days before ending its 2008-09 term, the U.S. Supreme Court issued two important employment law rulings. Now it’s harder for employees to win age bias lawsuits. Also, the court ruled on race bias in pre-hire testing.

No haircut, no job: Was it discrimination?

07/15/2009

A jury will decide whether Wackenhut Inc. discriminated against Lord Osunfarian Xodus when the security firm turned him down for a security guard position. Xodus, a Chicagoan who practices Rastafari, claimed he lost out on the job after he refused to cut his dreadlocks for religious reasons.

Social media and HR: Managing the legal risks, updating your policies

07/14/2009

Whether they’re shooting off their own tweets or following others, employees using Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and personal blogs are creating liability and PR risks with their online rants, raves and company gossip. We’ve gathered the best of HR Specialist’s recent coverage of social media’s HR implications. You’ll find sound legal advice, and maybe a laugh or two.

Get your I-9s in order: ICE launches new audit campaign

07/14/2009

The Obama administration is stepping up efforts to audit employers it believes are violating federal employment eligibility verification laws. At the same time, it’s ending "no-match" letters and requiring federal government contractors to use the E-Verify electronic verification system. Find out the latest on the ever-shifting issue of immigration and employment.

‘Same-actor’ defense won’t always work; establish unbiased reasons for firings

07/08/2009

When the person who hires someone is the same one who conducts the firing, courts typically discount the idea that discrimination was involved. After all, why would someone who hired an applicant discriminate later because of that person’s age, race or sex? But be aware that the defense doesn’t always work if there is clear discrimination evidence.

Supreme Court: Even good faith can lead to discrimination

07/08/2009

In one of its most anticipated employment law decisions in years, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that New Haven, Conn., discriminated against white firefighters when it refused to promote them after they passed a test that most black co-workers failed.