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How Leandra’s Law could affect your company-vehicle policy

12/02/2010
Leandra’s Law (the Child Passenger Protection Act) requires anyone convicted of driving while intoxicated in New York to install and maintain an ignition interlock device on any vehicle he or she owns or operates. That’s a condition of the person’s probation or conditional discharge. Leandra’s Law has several important provisions that apply to employers of people who have been convicted of DWI.

Harlem nonprofit sued for firing OSHA whistle-blower

12/02/2010
OSHA is suing the East Harlem Council for Community Improvement for allegedly retaliating against an employee who complained about unsafe working conditions.

New York ranked middle of the pack for business climate

12/02/2010
Site Selection magazine ranks New York 22nd  in the nation when it comes to business friendliness. North Carolina was rated the most business-friendly in the United States, followed by Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and South Carolina.

Ensure management training covers harassment

12/02/2010

Employees who claim they have been forced to work in a hostile work environment often lose their lawsuits because courts are reluctant to guarantee a civil workplace. But employers can’t accept horseplay, yelling, screaming and other unpleasant behavior at work. Here’s why:

The HR I.Q. Test: December ’10

12/02/2010
Test your knowledge of recent trends in employment law, comp & benefits and other HR issues with our monthly mini-quiz …

Watch out for pitfalls, risks of using social media in hiring

12/01/2010
Employers are increasingly using web-based social media—such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter—to screen potential employees, in addition to the usual applications, interviews, references, and background, credit and drug tests. But they don’t always recognize the potential pitfalls and risks.

Arbitration agreements are contracts! Keep them out of employee handbooks

12/01/2010
The Supreme Court of Texas has just ruled that arbitration agreements are legally valid and enforceable as long as they are stand-alone contracts—and not part of an overall employment manual.

Unionized? You may be able to use progressive discipline to address some forms of harassment

12/01/2010

If your organization is unionized and operates under a collective bargaining agreement that calls for progressive discipline, think twice before automatically firing an employee you believe has sexually harassed other employees. Unless your contract specifies discharge for a first harassment offense, you may have to follow your progressive discipline program.

What’s your negotiating style?

11/30/2010
We all have a personal approach to negotiation. Individual differences in how we prefer outcomes when interacting with others strongly affect how we approach negotiation. Prep for the next time you find yourself across the negotiating table (perhaps for the big raise you deserve) by figuring out which negotiating style fits your personality.

North Carolina again rated tops for business

11/30/2010

For the ninth time in the past 10 years, Site Selection magazine has named North Carolina the state with the nation’s best business climate. Every year, the magazine surveys site selectors—the people who help companies decide where to build new facilities—to get their take on how easy or hard it is to do business in each state.