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Indiana

Springfield cop’s reverse discrimination claim fails

02/12/2009

A white Springfield police officer failed to convince the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that Springfield’s system for promoting officers discriminated against him.

Obama signs Ledbetter Act, easing path for pay-bias suits

01/29/2009

President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act on Jan. 29, making it easier for women and others to sue for pay discrimination that may date back decades. Drafted in response to a 2007 U.S. Supreme Court decision that said employees had at most 300 days to file pay discrimination complaints, the new law counts each unfairly low paycheck as a fresh discriminatory act.

Beware shifting explanations for firing

01/16/2009

If you have to terminate an employee, don’t fall into a trap that can easily lead to a lawsuit. Don’t provide conflicting reasons for the termination or drop one when the employee or the EEOC asks for details.

Rely on union contract terms when working out disability accommodations

01/16/2009

Dealing with a labor union has its headaches, but figuring out how to deal with disability accommodations isn’t one of them. The fact is, having a collective-bargaining contract in place can make that easier.

Feds issue new I-9 form: Start using it by Feb. 2

12/18/2008

U.S. employers must begin using a revised version of the I-9 Form starting Feb. 2. Employers that use the current edition of the I-9 (dated 06/05/2007) after Feb. 2 may be subject to fines.

Cut your risk! Have HR make firing decisions

12/11/2008

Here’s another good reason to insist that HR handle all terminations: It’s much harder for employees to sue the company for its supervisors’ alleged harassment or discrimination if the HR office has primary responsibility for discharge decisions. Here’s why …

DOL issues new FMLA rules; time to review your policies

12/04/2008

On Nov. 17, the DOL finalized the first major overhaul of FMLA regulations in 15 years. Some changes favor employers; others will make FMLA compliance trickier than ever. They will require changes to your policies.

Give all employees a shot at advancement

11/12/2008

If some of your managers and supervisors steer career and business opportunities to favored subordinates and keep others from finding out about them, watch out. If those missed opportunities wind up depriving employees of potential financial rewards, that could lead to discrimination lawsuits.

Document rationale for rejecting every job applicant—and stick with it

11/12/2008

Before you reject a candidate who appears to meet the basic requirements for an open position, make sure you can explain your decision. Then document your rationale in case he or she later claims the real reason for the rejection was some form of discrimination.

OK to reject applicant who volunteers that disability can’t be accommodated

11/12/2008

If an applicant discloses a disability and says she can’t perform the job’s essential functions even with an accommodation, you can turn her down. You don’t have to second-guess her assessment and look for a reasonable accommodation.