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California

Are there ADA implications if we ask applicants to take personality tests?

07/17/2009

Q. We would like to administer personality tests to job applicants. Would this violate the ADA? A. Personality tests are a good example of the types of policies likely to be affected by the recently passed ADA Amendments Act of 2008 …

Flextime, early-out Fridays top employee summer wish list

07/06/2009

The luxury of time was on the minds of most employees who were surveyed by Robert Half International about the summer perks they most value. Leading the list was flextime, the choice of 38% of respondents. Next was shortened Fridays.

Choosing employees for promotion: A 6-step legal process

07/06/2009
HR people and managers are aware of the legal dangers in hiring outside applicants. But many forget that internal promotions also carry risks.

Competition for job openings heats up to record high

07/06/2009

Those few employers that are adding staff are sifting through more résumés than ever. Employers, on average, are evaluating 5.4 candidates for each of their openings, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Congress considers legislation mandating paid sick leave

06/26/2009

Millions of employees would be eligible for seven days of paid sick leave annually if the Healthy Families Act, recently introduced in Congress, becomes law. A coalition of HR and business groups vowed to fight the bill, saying it would “force companies to increase layoffs, reduce wages and cut important employee benefits.”

Remind bosses: No talk of pregnancy plans

06/26/2009

Are some of your organization’s leaders still stuck in the Dark Ages when it comes to attitudes about pregnancy, childbirth and child care? You might be a few off-base questions away from a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit. Remind managers and supervisors to keep their opinions on mothers and motherhood to themselves.

Caution before offering ‘retire or be fired’

06/26/2009

Here’s something to keep in mind when you are tempted to give an employee a choice between termination and early retirement: He may allege that the retirement option was really a constructive discharge.

Before altering disabled employee’s job, make sure you can justify the reason

06/26/2009

Sometimes, you have to make workplace changes because of outside factors. If those changes are going to affect a disabled employee’s job, proceed with caution. Make sure you can come up with a concrete, reasonable rationale for your decision—that shows it was unrelated to the employee’s disability.

Use plain language on work documents so everyone can understand them

06/26/2009

Most companies employ a broad range of workers with varying backgrounds. Those who are well-educated will have no trouble reading and understanding an application or employee handbook. Others may have a harder time understanding what they are reading. Still others may not speak or read English. That’s why it’s important to use plain language when drafting any documents your employees need to read.

Public employers not subject to some California overtime, pay rules

06/26/2009

In what may be a classic case of “do as I say, not as I do,” a California appeals court has ruled that public employers in the state don’t have to follow the same state overtime and pay rules that apply to private employers.