Posts by Allie
Newly passed Act includes improvements to WOSB procurement program
how money can be appropriated each year for the U.S. Department of Defense’s activities. The law was originally written in 2000, and is updated each year, but it contained limitations on the way that woman-owned small businesses could participate. The law prevented woman-owned small businesses from proposing contracts that were comprehensively over $5 million (among…
Read MoreWill your state enact ban-the-box laws in 2015?
In 2014, several states and metro areas instated laws that prohibit public employers from immediately disqualifying candidates that carry a criminal record. An employee criminal history disclosure is no longer required on initial job applications in Washington D.C., New Jersey, and Delaware, all of which passed ban-the-box laws this year, as did cities in New…
Read MoreTobacco use banned in Colorado health hiring
In 2012, Centura Health system — one of the largest healthcare providers in Colorado — created a policy banning smoking and tobacco products on any of its properties. Now, two years later, Centura Health has announced that it will no longer hire smokers to work at any of its facilities in Colorado and Kansas. “As…
Read MoreHow to hire reliable seasonal workers
workers are less likely to undergo thorough screening, and are also more likely to steal from their employers. To protect your business this Christmas, make sure you hire quality workers. Contact previous employers. When the applicant fills out his or her job application, request a list of previous jobs as well as the names and…
Read MoreEmployers and social media: avoid these 4 background-screening blunders
When employers are looking to hire, there are many things they must be aware of: avoiding discrimination, following the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and not breaking ban-the-box laws, to name a few. Throw a few Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn accounts into the mix, and suddenly making hiring decisions becomes a lot more treacherous. Be smart…
Read MoreHere’s why schools should exercise caution when hiring all staff, not just teachers
sending a female student inappropriate text messages, and asking her to send him nude photos. Driver Paul King had allegedly been sexting the 16-year-old high school student for a month, and the local sheriff’s office suspects that King was sending texts to other female students as well. “He did state he thought he did try…
Read MoreNew ‘ban the box’ in Columbia, Mo. stops employers performing background checks prior to job offer
According to the National Employment Law Project, most ban-the-box laws allow federal or public employers to conduct background checks on job applicants after initial interviews are conducted, but prevent employers from asking on job applications if a candidate has been convicted of a crime. It is not very common for cities or states to push…
Read MoreDrugs 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…
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