Human Resources Essentials Blog

In April 2020, 23 million workers lost their jobs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. During April, the unemployment rate peaked at an unprecedented level of 14.7% (in the last 80 years) before declining to a still-elevated level of 6.9% in October. Due to the large amount of uncertainty in the economy, it is estimated that high unemployment will persist in the next few years, despite the significant gains seen in employment since April.

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) prohibits discrimination based on pregnancy when it comes to any aspect of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training, fringe benefits, such as leave and health insurance, and any other term or condition of employment. The PDA has been trying to accomplish its purpose for 42 years now.

The “Interactive Process” can be a scary term for many Human Resources Professionals. My goal today is to show you that it does not have to be a scary term. There is nothing complicated with this process, it is indeed a very simple legal compliance. However, if it is not handled correctly, it could have serious implications for a company’s bottom line.

The Americans with Disabilities Act may protect a “qualified” individual who suffers of alcoholism who can meet the definition of “disability.”

Sexual harassment continues to be a serious problem in today's workplace, where managers, supervisors and owners are involved. Workplace sexual harassment is d

The average unemployment rate in the U.S for those without a disability has been around 3.7% versus 8% for people with a disability. If you are in HR, remem

Erratic, unpredictable absences such as allowing an employee to come in and leave at any time is not a reasonable accommodation as per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Here is a typical question about FMLA that I will receive from my clients: "I have an employee who started in our company about a year ago as a temporary employee from ABC Staffing Company. Two months ago, the employee was hired by our company as a regular full-time employee. The employee now needs surgery and is requesting FMLA. We denied the employee's FMLA request since he has not met the eligibility requirements. The employee only has two months of service since we hired him. Do we need to worry about any problems? We are correct, right?"

ASICS America Corporation (ASICS), a manufacturer of athletic footwear and accessories, violated federal law by firing a temporary worker because of her disabilities, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today.