Hiring

Manhattan school can’t dance away from age-bias claim

07/05/2012

Marymount Manhattan College’s refusal to hire a 64-year-old choreography instructor for a tenure-track position has left the New York City liberal arts school tap dancing around age discrimination charges.

Assumptions about disability cost Dallas company $50,000

07/03/2012

Stevens Transport, a Dallas-area trucking company, has agreed to pay $50,000 to settle EEOC charges that it refused to hire a paraplegic man for a management position due to his disability.

Set clear, easy-to-use processes so employees know about all promotion opportunities

06/27/2012

If you don’t regularly post your job openings and promotion opportunities, you are asking for trouble. Here’s why: Applicants and employees can sue if they believe they missed out on an opportunity—even if they never applied. That litigation blindside may force you to justify your hiring and promotion decisions long after you made them. And if you didn’t keep careful records, you may be in trouble.

HR law: All eyes on the Supreme Court

06/26/2012

The center of the HR universe is in Washington, D.C., this week, as the U.S. Supreme Court issues a key decision affecting hiring of undocumented workers and announces it will hear an important case concerning supervisor harassment in its next term. Oh yeah, and then there’s that health care reform case, which should be decided Thursday.

Can we request applicants’ Facebook passwords?

06/25/2012

Q. We have heard that employers are increasingly screening applicants online, including by going to their Facebook pages. Can we require an applicant who has a private Facebook page to give us the password to that page?

Online portal helps Hertz attract military hires

06/19/2012

To boost its hiring of military veterans, Hertz has launched a website devoted to recruiting them and their spouses. Hertz participates in the White House job-creating coalition known as “Joining Forces,” and has pledged to hire hundreds of returning veterans over the next few years.

It’s time to review your criminal history screening practices

06/18/2012

In April, the EEOC issued a new Enforcement Guidance document on the use of criminal history information in making hiring and other employment decisions. In light of the guidance and the EEOC’s increased focus on discrimination in hiring, employers should review and update their criminal history screening policies and practices.

Former employee who sued applies for new job? Take extra care about who does the hiring

06/18/2012

Sometimes, employers settle an employee lawsuit and expect that to be the end of the matter. But unless the settlement includes an agreement not to apply for any new job openings, the former employee may do just that. And if he’s not hired, he may allege retaliation for prior litigation.

7 ways to limit your social media liability

06/14/2012

Online social networking sites provide a variety of benefits to organizations. They can help you collect industry-based knowledge, reach new customers, build your brand and publicize your company’s name and reputation. But those benefits come with their fair share of legal risks. You need a comprehensive social media policy to guide employees on your expectations about their online behavior.

‘Projectlications’: The future of smart hiring?

06/11/2012

Realizing that no amount of interviewing or psychological tests can substitute for seeing an applicant perform the task at hand, more employers these days are asking candidates to do serious work to get a serious job offer, according to a Harvard Business Review article.