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

Hiring

More employers create ‘bridge jobs’ to appeal to retirees

10/23/2008

New research shows that more workers of retirement age are staying in their current jobs or returning to work, in part because of the sinking economy and dwindling nest eggs. Many of these older employees aren’t seeking full-time return at their past pay rates. They’re hunting for “bridge jobs.”

What not to ask your prospective HR director

10/22/2008

It is an unwritten rule in polite society that anyone who feels compelled to guess a person’s age should always guess down. That’s why it’s hard to sympathize with an investor with Unitek USA, who reportedly asked a 55-year-old applicant seeking an HR director’s position, “How old are you, 78?” …

What can’t I ask job applicants?

10/22/2008

Q. What questions are off-limits on an employment application or when conducting a job interview? …

Must we pay for tryout time?

10/20/2008

Q. I recently heard the phrase “tryout time” and wondered what this phrase meant and how it may be applicable to my workplace …

Immigrant numbers fall as enforcement spikes

10/17/2008

The number of people immigrating to the United States, both legally and illegally, has slowed dramatically. Main reasons: increased enforcement of immigration laws coupled with the sputtering U.S. economy.

How should we handle background checks during a merger or acquisition?

10/14/2008

Q. We are acquiring another company and intend to hire hundreds of its employees. Can we rely solely on that company’s background and criminal checks? …

Illegal immigrants enslaved workers

10/14/2008

Five Mexican citizens living illegally in the United States pleaded guilty to forcing undocumented workers to labor on their family farm in Immokalee …

What are the rules for conducting pre-employment physicals and drug tests?

10/14/2008

Q. I have been asked to screen applicants for several positions. Can we lawfully ask selected candidates to submit to physical exams or drug testing? …

Obesity discrimination is common — and against the law

10/10/2008

A recent study by Michigan State University and Hope College found that employers perceive overweight workers as lazier, more emotionally unstable and harder to get along with than their “normal weight” counterparts.

New law: Employers must review outside investigators’ work

10/10/2008

In May 2008, Michigan enacted the Professional Investigator Licensure Act. The act has a significant impact on how employers can conduct background checks and investigations. A violation of the act is a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than four years or a fine of not more than $5,000, or both …