April 2012

The EEOC recently issued another information discussion letter regarding pre-employment criminal background checks.  Many employers conduct criminal background checks, and the EEOC has long-held that such screenings do not violate Title VII per se because Title VII does not regulate inquiries by employers.  The discussion letter, however, reminds employers that the use of criminal records…

A cautionary tale about workplace relationships comes out of Pittsburgh this week

The sordid story involves the – now former – CEO of Highmark, 58-year-old Dr. Ken Melani. A well-respected figure in the community, Dr. Melani was riding high – CEO of a major, national company, and a $4.3 million dollar salary to boot. But,…

Employers are frequently frustrated by supervisors’ refusal or inability to comply with Family and Medical Leave Act requirements.  Lack of information from managers causes headaches when trying to determine if an employee should be receiving FMLA leave, and in tracking and managing such leave.

Many managers fail to notify HR when an employee may have…

Last Friday, the EEOC published its Final Regulations on Disparate Impact and Reasonable Factors other than Age under the ADEA.  The Final Regulation clarifies that an employment practice that has an adverse impact on individuals 40 and older is discriminatory unless the practice is justified by a “reasonable factor other than age” and that the…