From Guest Editor Anne Williams
What does the immigration reform bill mean for employers?
The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 (S. 1348) is quickly making it's way through the Senate, with the full backing of President Bush. The immigration reform package is large and can be daunting. The bill includes several issues that would affect employers, including:
- Immediate work authorization to undocumented workers who arrived in the United States before January 1, 2007;
- Employers would be required to use a system created by the government to electronically verify workers' employment eligibility;
- Employers who hire undocumented workers would face fines; and
- After several provisions are met, a guest worker program would be created allowing special visas to 400,000 temporary workers each year.
We have created an Immigration Center on HR Hero.com and packed it with a wealth of information about the legislation and links to information on the subject. For example, read a Q & A with employment immigration expert Paul L. Zulkie and answer your questions about what this legislation may mean to you and your employees. You'll also find background about the bill and up-to-date status of developments.
Check out the Immigration Center. We are updating the information frequently to keep you informed.
Anne Williams
Group Publisher
M. Lee Smith Publishers
Feature
The ins and outs of the interview
Excerpted from Vermont Employment Law Letter and written by attorneys at the law firm of Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew, P.C.
by Amy M. McLaughlin
The Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently determined that a job applicant presented enough disputed information for his age discrimination case to be submitted to a jury, rather than dismissed.
The applicant claimed that the individuals who interviewed him had an age bias against him and preferred the younger applicants. In reviewing the case, I was reminded of the importance of the interview process. This article will discuss the dos and don'ts for interviewing job applicants.
Click here to read the entire article
This Week on HRhero.com
HR Q&A
Excerpted from South Carolina Employment Law Letter and written by attorneys at the law firm of McNair Law Firm, P.A.
Q: Our Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) policy is administered differently for persons ordered into military service or leave and those who volunteer for military leave.
The policy states that for ordered military leave shorter than 31 days, the company will pay the employee's normal rate of pay. For voluntary military leaves, however, our company pays the differential pay for only the first 30 days. Is our policy OK?
Click here to read the entire article
Did You Know...
Do you know the 10 employment law pitfalls for teen workers?
The EEOC is on a mission to inform minors of their workplace rights through the Youth@Work initiative. Make sure all of your policies and procedures reflect the challenges of hiring teen workers by participating in the all-new HR Hero audio conference, "HR’s Teen Worker Challenge: 10 Employment Law Pitfalls You May Not Know About." From new-hire paperwork to potential safety hazards, you'll learn ALL the dos and don'ts regarding employing minors under federal, state, and local laws, including OSHA, EEOC, and FLSA requirements.
Read on for more information...
Employers Forum
Employee Harassment
I have an employee who is receiving phone calls at work from her husband's ex-girlfriend. Due to the business conducted in this particular department, all phone calls are recorded. We have a recordng of these calls. The calls are very upsetting to our employee as the caller is asking her questions such as, "does she know where her husband is, etc?" As an employer, what can we do to stop these calls at work?
montgomerycomgr, TX
Visit Employers Forum to join other discussions or post a question of your own.
How do I join Employers Forum discussions?
HRhero.com Subscribers Area Resources
Get specific ... state-specific, that is. About 75% of HR Hero Line subscribers also subscribe to our state-specific Employment Law Letters. Sign up for your state's Employment Law Letter to get monthly, state-specific updates and access to the HRhero.com Subscribers Area.
Employers in the Courtroom
Excluding contraceptives from medical plan doesn’t violate PDA
From Missouri Employment Law Letter
by Bridget Halquist
The Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently determined that a company's failure to offer insurance coverage for contraception didn't violate its female employee's rights under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.
Read on (Subscribers only)
Tool: HR Executive Special Reports
HRhero.com offers 24 in-depth special reports on topics lik
e "How to Manage & Minimize Absenteeism," "How to Make Telecommuting Work for Your Company," "How to Discipline and Document Employee Behavior," and more.
Anyone may purchase these reports on HRhero.com for $47 each. But you get all of them, a $1,128 value, for free! Why? Because you're a subscriber to your state's Employment Law Letter. You also have access to the three new reports we put out each year. Cool, huh?
Log into the Subscribers Area to access the HR Executive Special Reports library. The reports are in the Special Reports box in the right column.