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Hiring

Are we liable for negligent hiring if employee had criminal conviction?

04/13/2015
Q. Recently, one of my employees accidentally injured a client while operating a forklift during work hours. The client is now threatening to sue me for negligent hiring of this employee, because the employee has a prior—and unrelated—conviction. Does this accusation have legal grounds?

Put that phone interview on speaker–and be sure to have a witness!

04/13/2015

When it comes to hiring, it may seem simpler to screen potential applicants via a phone interview. But such conversations lend themselves to misunderstandings. If you must conduct them, do so via speaker and with more than one person participating. That way, the applicant can’t make wild claims when she isn’t hired.

Internal thefts: OK to redo background checks?

04/13/2015

As this case shows, running new background checks on your current staff is not, by itself, a discriminatory act. Just make sure you set clear standards on how you will react to the results.

16.9% of Fortune 500 board members are women

04/08/2015
The percentage of board seats occupied by women has increased substantially in the last 20 years—all the way up to 16.9%. Women comprise 47% of the U.S. workforce.

Block hiring lawsuits with simple FAQ handout

04/06/2015

Do you explain up front to job applicants exactly how your hiring process will work? If not, consider providing a written notice that outlines the process—possibly in a simple frequently-asked-questions format. The FAQ will come in handy later if a disgruntled applicant sues, claiming she was blacklisted or suffered discrimination by not being hired or called for an interview.

Health roles dominate growing occupations

04/03/2015
The Bureau of Labor Statistics regularly projects the growth rate for occupations in coming years. These are the 10 jobs with the fastest anticipated growth rates between now and 2022.

Worker’s immigration status won’t let employer off hook

03/30/2015
A California appeals court has ordered a new trial for a worker who may have lost a lawsuit because the jury learned that he was an illegal immigrant.

Unless required, consider dropping drug tests

03/27/2015

For many employers interested in maintaining a safe and productive workplace, it doesn’t make sense to require pre-employment drug and alcohol screening or randomly make current employees provide urine or blood samples. That was the contrarian advice attorney James P. Reidy offered March 24 at the Society for Human Resource Management Employment Law & Legislative Conference.

What if interviewee raises a sensitive issue?

03/16/2015
Every HR pro knows there are some questions you just can’t ask and topics you can’t raise during job interviews. But what if the applicant brings up an off-limits subject?

Cut lawsuit risk by listing minimum job qualifications

03/11/2015
Be sure your job announcements list minimum qualifications applicants must have. That way, if someone who lacks the right background sues, the case can quickly be dismissed.