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.

New circuit ruling complicates same-sex marriage issue

The issue of how employers should handle same-sex marriage got a bit murkier November 6 as a divided appeals court panel broke with rulings from four other U.S. circuit courts of appeals by upholding state bans on same-sex marriage. A three-judge panel from the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the 2-1 decision, which […]

BLR Pays Tribute to a True Entrepreneur

At the end of the year, BLR’s founder, Bob Brady, will be retiring from the company he started 37 years ago. On October 28th we celebrated Bob’s achievements with a party attended by family, friends, business associates, and current and former BLR® employees. It was a wonderful tribute to a man who has touched the […]

Is Drug Testing Discriminatory?

Do you require mandatory drug testing as a condition of employment? Many employers do, but have you considered whether a mandatory drug testing policy might be discriminatory?

Train Managers on ADA Accommodations and Diabetes

  November is American Diabetes Month, so this is the perfect time to talk with your managers and supervisors about accommodations for diabetic employees. Accommodations for employees with diabetes are usually small, easy to accomplish, and require little or no cost to the employer. Potential ADA Accommodations for Daily Diabetic Care Here are several examples […]

Is Your Dress Code Legal?

Many businesses find it appropriate to implement a dress code to ensure that everyone within the organization dresses appropriately and to a companywide standard. But the way an individual chooses to dress is a very personal decision, and an employee’s choice of clothing is one that can involve many factors, including the cost of the […]

New Massachusetts law requires paid sick leave

Voters in Massachusetts approved a law in the November 4 election that requires certain employers to provide paid sick leave. The law takes effect July 1, 2015. Under the law, Massachusetts employers with at least 11 employees must provide paid sick leave. Employees will accrue paid sick leave beginning July 1, 2015, at the rate […]

Must Accrued Vacation Time Be Paid Upon Termination?

Do employers have to pay out the wage equivalent of the accrued vacation time for an employee upon termination? Does the answer depend on whether the employee quits or is terminated for cause? Does the answer depend on whether the employee belongs to a union?

Are Your Managers Trained on the ADA and Diabetes?

  Employees with diabetes are covered by the ADA. There is no dispute that diabetes is a diagnosed physical impairment that limits a major life activity and thus meets the ADA definition of disability. (Major life activities include the functioning of major bodily systems like the endocrine system; diabetes, by definition, substantially limits the endocrine […]

Oregon employers shouldn’t freak out over new marijuana law

by Calvin L. Keith On November 4, Oregon voters passed Initiative 91, which legalizes recreational marijuana in Oregon. With Oregon joining other states that have approved recreational marijuana use, Oregon employers may be wondering what the new law means for their drug policies. The short answer is not much. Initiative 91, which will take effect […]