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Hiring

Bias against the unemployed: States and feds pushing bills

02/24/2012
Last year, New Jersey became the first state to make it illegal for employers to refuse to hire applicants just because they’re unemployed. And Presi­­dent Obama’s jobs bill would make it an un­­lawful. Outlook: Look for more states to pass such laws, but it won’t get through Congress this year.

When making reference-check calls, take and retain good notes

02/23/2012

Sometimes, it’s a close call to decide who will be the best fit for a job. Checking applicants’ references can break that tie. Just make sure you take careful notes during those discussions, and retain those notes in case there’s litigation.

What’s our duty to accommodate a religious need we just learned about?

02/22/2012
Q. An employee we hired a couple weeks ago just told us that he is Muslim and can’t work on Fridays. During the interview, he was asked whether anything would prohibit his working a proposed schedule that specifically included Fridays. He said no, in writing. Can we let this guy go?

No promotion postings? You’re courting a bias suit

02/22/2012
Employers that don’t post internal promotion opportunities are risking unnecessary lawsuits. The fact is, when jobs aren’t posted, employees can sue over the lost opportunity to apply.

Audit hiring patterns to spot hidden age bias

02/22/2012

When employers choose the youngest candidate for a job, older candidates may suspect age bias played a role. That could mean a lawsuit is looming. If a disappointed applicant sues, it won’t help the employer that the overall candidate pool included many older applicants. What matters is who was selected.

AT&T focuses on Hispanic diversity

02/20/2012

As part of its diversity effort, AT&T has beefed up its efforts to include Hispanic employees at all levels of its business. Its program includes building a diverse workforce—Hispanics account for 12% of AT&T employees.

Are there incentives for hiring vets?

02/15/2012
Q. We are aware of the increasing number of veterans who are returning to the workforce and applying for positions. We are interested in hiring veterans and would like to know if there are any incentives for hiring them.

Michigan firm recruits its own employees

02/15/2012
Once Plante Moran recruits a talented new hire, it keeps recruiting the same person throughout the employee’s tenure with the firm. One of the country’s largest certified public accounting and business advisory firms, Plante Moran boasts a turnover rate of less than 13%, among the lowest in the industry.

Bill would limit using credit histories in hiring

02/13/2012
Florida State Sen. Gary Siplin has introduced a bill that would limit an employer’s use of an applicant’s credit history as a hiring criterion unless it “is shown to be directly related to the position sought by the applicant.”

Bullet-proof your promotion process: Tell everyone to forward notes and documents to HR

02/13/2012
When it comes to promotions, courts want employers to be honest and fair. Otherwise, they won’t interfere—unless the employer has no records to back up its promotion decisions or show how its decision-making process worked.