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Hiring

Prepare to justify policy barring former criminals

05/01/2007

Does your organization have a blanket policy of refusing to hire applicants with criminal records? If so, make sure you can explain exactly why. Because minority applicants may be statistically more likely to have criminal records, requiring a clean criminal-record history may have a disparate impact on a protected class and violate Title VII …

Fighting words over ‘Fighting 529’

05/01/2007

When Latino advocate Jerry Gonzalez showed “Fighting 529,” his documentary slamming Georgia Senate Bill (SB) 529, at Georgia Tech in March, the last person he expected to see in the audience was state Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock), author of the bill …

Court: Sued employer can ask about some immigration matters

05/01/2007

When the EEOC sued First Wireless Group over allegations that it fired Hispanic employees who questioned pay disparities, the company got aggressive …

Jail time for managers in immigrant-Hiring conspiracy

05/01/2007

Three former managers from the Guilderland plant of crate manufacturer IFCO Systems, headquartered in Houston, pleaded guilty to conspiring to hire illegal workers …

H-1B visa cutback strands companies seeking foreign workers

05/01/2007

Many companies this spring scrambled to get a hold of their share of highly skilled foreign workers through the federal H-1B visa program …

When and how you can use ‘English-Only’ rules in the workplace

05/01/2007

Philadelphia landmark Geno’s Steaks made headlines when it posted a sign that reads, “This is America. When ordering, please speak English” … Although the Geno’s case deals with an attempt to apply an “English-only” rule to customers, it highlights a growing issue in U.S. workplaces …

Lame excuses for rejecting candidates can land you in court

05/01/2007

Say the wrong thing during the hiring process, and you’ve got a lawsuit on your hands. Here are three tips to help keep supervisors’ feet out of their mouths …

Ignoring discrimination policy may lead to punitive damages

05/01/2007

Train supervisors and managers to report religious and other discrimination, and be sure they know not to retaliate against anyone who does come forward. Ohio state law bars discrimination based on religion and other protected characteristics, and employees who can show they were discriminated against can collect punitive damages …

How to discuss late hours without bringing up family obligations

05/01/2007

Q. We have a position open in our sales department for someone who will be planning and executing company-sponsored events, most of which would take place outside normal 9-to-5 working hours. Is there a way we can ask about the applicants’ family situations and make it clear that missing these events because of family obligations would not be tolerated?

Employer-Provided health insurance to become exception?

05/01/2007

About 60 percent of Michigan residents still receive health insurance through work, but that may not be true for very long …