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Hiring

Drug testing leads to disability bias suit in Raleigh

11/28/2011
Employers know to be wary of drug tests because they’re sometimes incorrect, falsely indicating that someone has been using illegal drugs. Now the Raleigh office of a national insurance giant has learned of another danger: Drug tests can trigger disability discrimination lawsuits.

Minor malady could hinder performance? Always look for easy accommodations

11/28/2011
Be careful before revoking a job offer based on a physical exam. Consider reasonable accommodations instead.

Court: Applicants must apply first before they sue for hiring discrimination

11/28/2011
Some workers file hiring-bias lawsuits before they bother submitting an application or telling any­one they’re interested in a promotion. Fortunately, they rarely win. Absent some direct evidence that an employer routinely rejects applications of a protected class, failure to complete an application or express interest in a promotion bars such a lawsuit.

Can we require credit reports for applicants?

11/18/2011
Q. Is it legal to institute a policy requiring all new hires to submit to a consumer credit report?

Suit: Marion mining company snubs female applicants

11/16/2011
Marion-based Mach Mining faces charges it has refused to hire women for coal mining positions since it began operating in 2006. According to the EEOC, several well-qualified female applicants have applied for positions at the mine, but none have been hired.

Which of the following issues requires the most work on your part?

11/15/2011
Handling benefits and mediating workplace disputes top the list of difficult HR duties.

Talent-based interviewing: The 5 best questions

11/11/2011
Talent-based interviewing asks questions about real-life situations that are phrased in a unique way to elicit a candidate’s first (natural) response. This is a better assessment of future performance than simply checking whether the candidate has previously worked in a similar role (experience).

ACLU, TSA settle case of HIV-positive applicant

11/09/2011
The federal Transportation Security Administration has settled a lawsuit brought by the national ACLU and its Florida chapter. The ACLU filed an administrative complaint on behalf of an HIV-positive Air Force veteran who was rejected for a job as a transportation security officer because of his HIV status.

You’re hired! Oh, you’re pregnant? You’re fired!

11/09/2011
Capri Healthcare in Clearwater is being sued following an EEOC complaint that it rescinded a job offer as soon as it found out its new employee was pregnant.

Can we refuse to consider rehiring a job applicant who we previously terminated?

11/09/2011
Q. We are a larger company. I noticed that an applicant for a position within one of our branches was previously employed and let go by another division. Would it be discriminatory to decline interviewing a candidate for this reason?