Archive for the ‘Personnel Concepts’ Category

Congress rode to the aid of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans with an increased package of benefits at the close of 2010′s lame duck session. The benefits will facilitate educational pursuits for the veterans, among other initiatives. At the same time, Congress by voice vote passed a resolution to extend USERRA benefits to people working [...]

Released on Nov. 9, 2010, final regulations for the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) take effect today, Jan. 10, 2011, after a 60-day implementation period. GINA prohibits employers from–in most cases–obtaining genetic information about any employee or family member of the employee, but it does provide certain safe harbor protections if the information is obtained [...]

Removing the stool from a cashier with arthritic knees just cost one pharmacy chain a nice lawsuit by the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) based on the strengthened and broadened definition of disability under 2009′s Americans With Disabilities Amendments Act (ADAAA). Prior to ADAAA, the chain could’ve argued that the employee’s arthritis didn’t prevent her [...]

It seems hard that any show could beat out The Office for the most workplace violations in matters of diversity, discrimination, and respect, but a group calling itself Global Compliance conducted a study and concluded that 30 Rock topped the list, followed closely by Grey’s Anatomy. Global Compliance’s tally revealed that 30 Rock was home to [...]

It was 20 years ago today (July 26, 2010, then 1990) that President George H.W. Bush signed into law the landmark Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). After court decisions had whittled down the scope of the ADA through the years, Congress sought to restore the robust ADA that the authors had envisioned and in 2008 [...]

The Department of Labor (DOL) recently updated its regulations regarding child labor in the U.S.—calling them "the most ambitious and far-reaching revisions" in the past 30 years—and these new regs are set to go into effect this coming Monday, July 19, 2010. The updated regulations effect a variety of changes to how DOL will interpret [...]

The Department of Labor (DOL) has announced stiffer penalties for violation of the child labor laws covered under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and other pieces of legislation.  "Beginning today, employers who hire children too young to work will face stiffer penalties," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Work is not child’s play. [...]

Don’t let the fox guard the hen house. According to "identity theft expert" Robert Siciliano: "As much as 70 percent of all identity theft is committed by someone with inside access to organizations such as corporations, banks, or government agencies, or by someone who has an existing relationship with the victim. People with access to [...]

Implementing changes to HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) contained in the stimulus package (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or ARRA), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Oct. 30, 2009, published its Interim Final Rule in the Federal Register. The Final Rule expands the power of the Health and Human Services [...]

Business cheered the Supreme Court’s decision in Gross v. F.B.L. Financial Services that set the bar higher for age discrimination claims by employees. Prior to Gross, employees need merely show in court that age was one factor in their adverse job decision (a firing or passing over for promotion, for instance). Now they must show [...]