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Minnesota ranks high in female board membership

05/13/2009

According to a study sponsored by several Minnesota-based women’s business groups and executive search firm Spencer Stuart, Minnesota is second only to New York and Illinois in female board membership among its publicly traded companies.

Can we terminate an H-1B immigrant?

05/13/2009

Q. We are sponsoring an immigrant worker on an H-1B visa. Because of performance issues, we would like to terminate his employment. Can we do this?

Warn bosses: Don’t promise job if they don’t have the authority

05/13/2009

Here’s a reminder for all your supervisors and managers when they are interviewing and selecting potential employees. Tell them they must never promise a job before getting approval. Doing so may mean a lawsuit if the applicant relies on the promise to his detriment.

Chicago’s Loyola law students mastering the recession

05/11/2009

With the possible exception of employment law, the legal profession has been hit hard by the recession. Today’s law school graduates are now competing with cadres of laid-off attorneys for dwindling positions. So, Loyola University Chicago School of Law has devised a way for law students to weather the economic storm.

E-Verify again an eligibility verification option for Illinois employers

05/11/2009

The federal E-Verify program allows employers to voluntarily enroll in the federal government’s Internet-based system for verifying the employment authorization documents submitted by new hires. Consult your attorney before enrolling in E-Verify to determine whether it makes sense to do so.

Offer employees on military duty same chances for promotion other employees have

05/11/2009

Employees who are serving the country on active military duty may miss a chance to participate in important tests that qualify them for promotions. If they miss those tests, they could also miss out on opportunities for promotions for years to come. And that may violate USERRA.

Boss who hired also fired? Back it up anyway

05/06/2009

Most of the time, employers can win discrimination cases by showing that the same “actor” hired and fired an employee. Courts generally assume that the employer’s stated reason for discharge is the true reason and not an excuse to cover up discrimination. That doesn’t mean, however, that you can be loose with your discharge reasons.

Boss who hired also fired? Back it up anyway to defend against discrimination claims

05/06/2009

Employers are often advised to have the same managers who hired an employee also make the termination decision. The idea is that doing so may scuttle a discrimination lawsuit because it’s illogical for a manager to hire a member of a protected class and then turn around and fire him because of bias against that protected class. Don’t use it as an excuse to get sloppy with record-keeping and documentation.

Brownsville twins guilty in visa fraud scheme

05/06/2009

A federal jury has convicted twin brothers from Brownsville of conspiring to obtain fraudulent work visas in exchange for payment. The jurors handed down guilty verdicts against Alberto and Bernardo Pena for obtaining visas for immigrants from India in exchange for at least $20,000 per visa.

Can you provide a summary of the new Form I-9?

05/06/2009

Q. I recently heard that employers must now use a new I-9 form for new employees. Is this true?