By Francine Esposito
Navigating the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) medical certification process can be tricky for even the most seasoned HR professionals. Thankfully, most employees requesting leave for their own serious health condition legitimately need it and will provide the necessary documentation. Other employees, however, attempt to “work the system” to take what they [...]

A federal judge blocked parts of Arizona’s new immigration law on Wednesday, the day before the rest of the measure went into effect. But legal challenges are already flying and many are waiting to see what happens next.
Last year, a record number of immigration-related laws were considered and passed in the 50 states. Over 222 [...]

by Lorraine Yeomans
The 2010 state legislative sessions have kicked off across the nation, and one of the first pieces of legislation to be signed into law this year was a bill legalizing the use of medical marijuana.
On January 18, as one of his last acts before leaving office, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine signed the [...]

A federal appellate court recently allowed a discrimination case against an employer to proceed to trial because the hiring manager spent extra time with one of the candidates.
Audit your hiring policies and practices with the Employment Practices Self-Audit Workbook

All employers are required to verify the employment eligibility of their employees by completing a federal Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 for each worker. Employers can use self-audits to verify that the employment eligibility documentation kept on file for their employees is accurate.
Recent changes
Effective April 3, 2009, the list of documents [...]

Last week, we discussed four employment law issues state legislatures will be grappling with in 2009 — layoff notification laws, immigration, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and it’s state equivalents, and unemployment benefits. This week, we’ll discuss four more – family and medical leave, workplace discrimination, minimum [...]

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is in the middle of its E-Race Initiative, which is designed to eliminate race and color discrimination in the workplace by identifying issues that contribute to it. The commission intends to achieve its goals for the E-Race Initiative by 2013. Two factors it’s currently addressing [...]

by Boyd A. Byers
Forty is a mystical number in many cultures. In ancient Babylonia, the number was known as kissatuin, meaning “the excellent quantity.” The great flood described in the Bible resulted from 40 days and 40 nights of rain. Forty is the only number, when spelled out in English, whose [...]

(Updated October 2008)
A federal appeals court affirmed the dismissal of a disability discrimination claim based on perfume sensitivity. It found that the employer reasonably accommodated the employee by taking various measures, including prohibiting perfume in the workplace.
HR Guide to Employment Law: A practical compliance reference manual covering 14 topics, including the Americans with Disabilities Act [...]