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Fed HR reps don’t like the government’s pay system

10/01/2007

One-third of the federal government’s chief human capital officers say their employer should replace its general schedule pay system with pay for performance …

Be alert to employment law issues related to older employees

10/01/2007

Employment laws give older workers unique protections that younger workers lack. Specifically, the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act and Ohio’s Fair Employment Practices Act prohibit discrimination because of age against workers 40 and older. However, employers are getting a reprieve of sorts from a new EEOC regulation …

Is mortgage meltdown affecting your employees, applicants?

10/01/2007

Recently, more and more Georgia homeowners are having trouble paying their mortgages. In fact, Georgia is in the top five states for foreclosures this year. And that’s driving down home prices, as foreclosed properties flood the Georgia market, especially in the Atlanta metro area. Here’s why that’s important for employers …

This cup’s for you: The right way to test for drugs

10/01/2007

With an increasing number of employees just saying “yes” to drugs these days, you can expect more Indiana companies to develop random drug-testing programs and establish rules that allow them to fire workers who test positive or don’t cooperate with the test. One note of caution: Make sure you can demonstrate that your drug test results are accurate and reliable …

Georgia-Pacific’s literacy test fails to make the grade

10/01/2007

The U.S. Labor Department recently ruled that Georgia-Pacific’s use of a literacy test to screen applicants for jobs at its paper mills is discriminatory. The reason: Paper-mill workers don’t need to read well and black applicants are far more likely to fail a literacy test than whites, the department said …

Employee References: Sample Release Form

09/28/2007
White Paper published by The HR Specialist, copyright 2007 ______________________ It’s a smart legal move to require employees to sign a waiver releasing your organization from liability for providing truthful employment references. The following is a sample Employment Reference Release form that was adapted from several state bar associations’ employment law groups. You can use […]

Independent Contractor or Employee? How to Make The Call

09/18/2007
White Paper published by The HR Specialist ______________________ For years, the IRS has relied on a 20-factor test to determine whether a worker is considered an “employee” or an “independent contractor.” Conferring contractor status on a worker often benefits the employer, who is then not obligated to withhold income tax or to pay Social Security […]

Employee relocation: 5 ways to help your company survive the housing slump

09/11/2007

A sluggish real estate market is putting pressure on some organization’s hiring practices. The problem: New employees can’t sell their old houses. The solution: Taking a fresh look at relocation policies and assistance.

Judge slams brakes on new ‘No-Match’ enforcement rules

09/04/2007

A U.S. District Court judge has issued a temporary restraining order that stops the Department of Homeland Security from enforcing new rules on how employers must respond to no-match letters. A groups of civil liberties and labor organizations filed a lawsuit charging that the agency doesn’t have the authority to use Social Security records to crack down on illegal immigration.

State agency to learn whether ‘Preselection’ is discrimination

09/01/2007

An energy specialist with the Ohio Department of Development filed a race-discrimination complaint with
the Civil Rights Division, arguing the department passed him over for promotions to two positions because he is black. The department acknowledged it had created the positions specifically with two other men in mind to keep them from leaving …