Archive for November 2014
Drugs in the workplace: Are confessing to using drugs and testing positive for drugs two different things?
confess to doing drugs before they even complete testing. Minnesota employers are allowed to respond differently to an admission of drug usage than to a positive drug test. DATWA makes no exceptions for confessions on company property; the employer may immediately terminate an employee that admits to using illegal substances, if that is consistent with…
Read MoreNo Bad Santa: Background checks prevent problems for employers, parents alike
Many retail stores are already busting out the holiday music and cheery decór, and retailers and organizations are already going about hiring holiday helpers. While any business would do well to screen its holiday help — after all, businesses are more likely to be robbed by employees than shoplifters — it’s a different story altogether…
Read MoreLinkedIn ‘Reference Search’ lawsuit shows pitfalls for employers and social media
It’s no surprise when employers and social media mix during the hiring process, as employers often want to get an accurate idea of a prospective employee beyond the glossy resume and carefully culled reference list. LinkedIn provides a service, “Reference Search,” to help those employers that are premium account holders, by providing lists of individuals…
Read MoreEEOC files claims against FedEx, Wal-Mart for alleged disability discrimination
filed against FedEx Ground in North Carolina, as well as a Wal-Mart in Maryland, for alleged violations to the ADA. In the case of FedEx Ground, the EEOC claims that reasonable accommodations were not made for employees that are deaf or hard-of-hearing, as employees were not provided with a sign-language interpreter or closed captions during…
Read MoreStudy: College graduates undergo more background checks than executives
A new study by U.K. background-screening firm HireRight shares some scary statistics. In interviews with 140 human resources representatives, all of whom are employed by companies with more than 5,000 employees, researchers found that it is quite common for executive-level employees to undergo fewer background checks and screening processes than the typical entry-level, college graduate…
Read MoreOctober 2014: unemployment rate continues slow descent with addition of 214,000 jobs
the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were plenty of new jobs available in October, and the unemployment rate slid down another 0.1 percent from September, to 5.8 percent for the month. This decrease means that only 9 million Americans are currently unemployed, down from 9.6 million people that were unemployed in August. (The number of…
Read MoreBe wary of negligent retention when employing senior caregivers
There have been several recent stories regarding the negligent retention of caregivers who have taken advantage of their elderly clients’ finances, stealing thousands of dollars from them before being caught. Take for instance, the Utah caregiver that stole $140,000 from her 86-year-old client — after being trusted to pay bills on the senior man’s behalf…
Read MoreMBA programs see increase in applicant background verification
It is becoming more and more common for higher education programs and schools to conduct background checks on its applicants. However, unlike schools that want to confirm students’ criminal histories, these business school programs are more interested in whether its applicants are being honest on their applications. Depending on the school or MBA program, employment…
Read MoreEEOC files first suits against employers for discrimination toward transgender employees
took on two employment discrimination cases on behalf of two transgender individuals. The EEOC is suing Lakeland Eye Clinic in Florida on behalf of Brandi Branson, and R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Home in Michigan on behalf of Amiee Stephens, both of whom were fired from their jobs when their employers discovered that they were…
Read MoreCareerBuilder releases list of unbelievable excuses for taking sick leave
With the help of a Harris poll, CareerBuilder.com has released this year’s list of “The Most Unbelievable Excuses for Calling in Sick.” The job-search site has been compiling the best and craziest excuses from U.S. workers for the past decade. Would you tell your boss that you couldn’t make it to the office because you…
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