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Hiring

New rules ‘ban the box’ on federal applications

11/03/2015
On Nov. 2, President Obama unveiled a new executive order that will prevent federal agencies from asking job candidates about their criminal backgrounds until later in the hiring process.

How do we go about verifying I-9 documents for remote employees?

10/28/2015
Q. We have a workforce that largely works remotely, some hundreds of miles from our corporate office. For a variety of reasons, we will be reclassifying a number of these individuals from independent contractor status to employees. Given that we will need I-9s for the employees, do we need to personally see the required identification documents, or can the employees send us facsimiles/scans, etc.? If we need to see the forms personally, what is the best way to do that?

Minnesota drug testing law doesn’t protect airline employee

10/28/2015
If it stands, a recent federal court decision could provide some clarity for Minnesota employers.

Target pays $2.8 million, agrees to drop hiring tests

10/28/2015
The Target retail chain has agreed to stop using three pre-employment assessments that the EEOC claimed were discriminatory.

The do’s and don’ts of Form I-9 compliance

10/28/2015
Since 2009, authorities from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been aggressively auditing employers for compliance with the rules for maintaining a Form I-9 for every employee. Make sure yours are in order.

How to handle a reference request from a subpar former employee?

10/22/2015
Q. A former employee asked me to provide a reference to a prospective employer. While he left our company on good terms, he had lateness problems, his performance was substandard, and I was not fond of him. Can he sue me for giving him a bad reference?

Are employer ‘LinkedIn parties’ legal?

10/21/2015
Employee groups have recently raised questions about a new employer tactic to gather names and contact information for potential job prospects.

How should I handle a reference request from a former employee who was less than stellar?

10/05/2015
Q. A former employee asked me to provide a reference to his new prospective employer. While he left the company on good terms, he had lateness problems, his performance was substandard and I was not fond of him. Am I required to act as his reference? Can he sue me for giving him a bad reference?

Know the risks when hiring third-party workers

10/05/2015
After the NLRB’s recent decision regarding its new, broader standard for “joint employer” status, it’s time to brush up on the consequences of the joint employer doctrine when engaging third-party contractors.

Social media becomes recruiting ‘game-changer’

09/28/2015
According to a recent survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management, 65% of employers have hired an employee who was sourced through such sites as LinkedIn and Facebook.