• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

Hiring

Do agencies use ‘fake applicants’ to test for bias?

08/14/2013
Q. When interviewing a candidate, I became suspicious the job-seeker was a “tester.”  Her answers seemed like she was fishing for a slip-up. Do agencies or groups still send out people to see whether employers are hiring legally?

Just how many plaintiffs can one suit have?

08/13/2013
What if you get a hiring decision wrong, choosing someone from one protected category over another slightly better-qualified minority applicant? Fortunately, that misstep won’t open the door for hordes of minority applicants to sue. Only the slightly better-qualified applicant will have a claim.

J.B. Hunt drops ban on hiring those with criminal records

08/07/2013
Transportation giant J.B. Hunt has agreed to revise its hiring policy that the EEOC claimed prohibited hiring anyone with a criminal record. The case began with a single black applicant who was denied a truck driving position because he had been convicted of a crime.

Texas’ new hiring law should help employers and convicts

08/07/2013
Gov. Rick Perry has signed legislation providing important protections for employers facing negligent hiring or supervision claims. The new law also makes it more attractive for ­employers to hire applicants with criminal records.

Drug test inconclusive? Offer a second chance

08/07/2013
If a prehire drug test is inconclusive, you may want to offer the applicant a second chance to take the test.

Red Cross is first nonprofit to team up with VA for Vets

07/31/2013
The American Red Cross has be­­come the first organization other than a government agency to partner with the Uncle Sam’s VA for Vets program, which trains veterans in preparation for high-technology jobs outside the military.

Cull interview lists to ensure you include the most-qualified candidates

07/30/2013
Before you begin talking to candidates, make sure everyone you selected for an interview opportunity is among the best qualified, and that you haven’t passed over anyone who is obviously as well-qualified as other applicants. That’s the best way to avoid a needless failure-to-hire suit.

Concord Chick-fil-A sued for half-baked hiring approach

07/30/2013
The EEOC is suing a Chick-fil-A res­­tau­­rant in Concord, alleging violations of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act that almost any savvy HR professional would have known to avoid.

What do we need to consider when crafting a policy on unpaid intern injuries?

07/26/2013
Q. We recently started to provide unpaid internship opportunities to local college students… The interns are not subject to the same process as other permanent or temporary employees in terms of background checks and workers’ compensation insurance. Now we’re looking at how best to structure this relationship to address issues such as what happens if an intern is hurt at a client facility. How should we approach this?

Feel free to place reasonable background check conditions on job offers

07/26/2013
Good news for employers that have had to revoke conditional employment offers: Employers that discover disqualifying information after an offer has been tendered but before the candidate starts work are free to revoke the offer. That won’t result in a big jury award.