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Hiring

Asking applicants about age: When is it legal?

03/01/2007

Q. I work as an HR generalist at a large hospital. My supervisor told me to ask a certain applicant for her date of birth during the hiring process. Isn’t it illegal to ask for an applicant’s birth date? —K.G., Philadelphia

Giving references: Limiting info is still safest policy

03/01/2007

Q. I’m new to the HR world. When we receive reference checks on ex-employees, what information can we (or should we) give out without a signed release? —L.M., Pasadena, Calif.

‘Hello, Liability?’ The new trend of telephone testing

03/01/2007

Why does “testing” bring about that sledgehammer-in-the-stomach feeling? Maybe because, as students, we never knew quite what to expect. Now, the same is true when it comes to a recent trend in employment-law cases: applicants and employees making phone calls to secretly test whether your organization is discriminating …

Should you ask applicants about expunged criminal record?

03/01/2007

Pennsylvania employers can use information obtained as part of a criminal record check to deny a job if it shows that the applicant was convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor. But what if the applicant reveals that he or she has an expunged criminal record? …

You can file H-1B visa petitions starting April 1

03/01/2007

If you typically hire foreign employees through the federal government’s H-1B visa program, be aware of an upcoming date: April 1 …

In tight labor market, hotels cast wide recruiting net overseas

03/01/2007

Facing pervasive labor shortages, many hospitality employers in Florida are paying big bucks to recruit employees from as far away as Brazil and Romania …

Immigration raids create hiring trouble at Ga. chicken plant

03/01/2007

When federal immigration agents descended on tiny Stillmore, Ga., to raid Crider Inc., the local chicken processing plant lost 75 percent of its mostly Hispanic work force in one weekend. Many feared for the local economy …

Immigrant glass in New Jersey: Is it half empty or half full?

03/01/2007

Is New Jersey’s immigrant population an HR advantage or a fiscal liability? Whichever your view, you won’t have to look far for statistics to back you up …

How to handle disabled applicants who bring a ‘Job coach’ to the interview

03/01/2007

In many states, vocational programs pair disabled residents with “job coaches,” who help them find appropriate work and adapt to those jobs. Since the ADA also requires employers to make reasonable accommodations during the hiring process, make sure job coaches are welcome in your interviews …

The Dirty Dozen: Manager mistakes that spark lawsuits

03/01/2007

Lawsuits by employees against their employers have grown tremendously in the past decade. Sometimes those lawsuits have merit, sometimes they don’t. Here are 12 of the biggest manager mistakes that harm an organization’s credibility in court. Use these points as a checklist to shore up your personal employment-law defense.