Category: HR Management & Compliance

There are dozens of details to take care of in the day-to-day operation of your department and your company. We give you case studies, news updates, best practices and training tips that keep your organization fully in compliance with ever-changing employment law, and you fully aware of emerging HR trends.

Should You Train Your Employees for Medical Emergencies?

Are you considering providing medical training to your employees? Often, the focus of training is on employee development. But an increasing number of employers are starting to see the value of medical training when it means employees are able to react appropriately if a medical emergency occurs on the job.

Whistleblower

Do Whistleblower Protections Apply if Only Internal Policies are Violated?

Free governments across history have encouraged people to come forward when they see the law being violated. The United States is no different. Most states, including New Hampshire, have a statute affording certain protections to people who report wrongdoing, with such individuals normally referred to as “whistleblowers.” The basic idea behind all of these statutes […]

Cybersecurity

FTC Urges Employers to Restrict Internal Access to Personal Data

The importance of restricting internal access to personal information was the subject of a recent blog post by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC, which exercises data privacy and security enforcement authority over all for-profit companies, identified specific organizational do’s and don’ts for preventing the compromise of employee or consumer data.

service snake

Service Animals Gone Wild: Bring Your Boa Constrictor to Work Day

Employees with qualifying disabilities may rely on a service and/or emotional support animal for a variety of reasons, and allowing them to do so at work may be considered a “reasonable accommodation” under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), provided the task performed by the animal is needed in the workplace, it’s directly related to […]

harassment

Single Racial Slur Can Establish Harassment Claim in 3rd Circuit

Recently, the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals—which covers Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania—ruled that to establish a claim of workplace harassment under the civil rights statute known as Section 1981, the discrimination need only be “severe or pervasive,” which can be satisfied by a single racial slur when it’s so extreme that it “amount[s] […]

pretext

Off the Hook for ADA Discrimination Claim? Not So Fast, Says Texas Court

I know this sounds like a contradiction, but a Dallas court recently said it wasn’t. So, a Texas employer can be cleared of firing an employee because of his disability—despite the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)—but still be liable for failing to provide a reasonable accommodation. The Dallas office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission […]