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| Nationwide, there were a record 99,922 charges of discrimination in fiscal 2010, the most recent annual data available, and 20,149 merit resolutions. Among Texas's 1,780 merit closures with private employers and state and local government employers, retaliation was the leading complaint, followed by sex, race, and disability-based discrimination. Nationwide, retaliation was the charge most often brought. |
| (Source: Bloomberg Businessweek, 2011-07-29) |
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| Limiting criminal background checks by employers as a way to speed hiring and cut unemployment will lead to unsafe workplaces, a national business group said as the U.S. weighs restrictions on the practice. The EEOC is considering revisions to guidelines on criminal background checks, which took effect in 1987 under President Ronald Reagan. |
| (Source: Bloomberg, 2011-07-26) |
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| Unlike with the debt limit debate, there is bipartisan interest in Congress in reforming high-skill immigration. New legislation is on its way, and here's what to watch for. |
| (Source: Computerworld, 2011-07-29) |
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| Farmers across the country are rallying to fight a Republican-sponsored bill that would force them and all other employers to verify the legal immigration status of their workers, a move some say could imperil not only future harvests but also the agricultural community's traditional support for conservative candidates. The bill would require farmers -- who have long relied on a labor force of immigrants, a majority here without legal documents -- to check all new hires through E-Verify, a federal database run by the Department of Homeland Security devised to ferret out illegal immigrants. |
| (Source: The New York Times, 2011-07-30) |
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| There are no national statistics on how frequently secret recordings are occurring in the workplace, but smartphones and other pocket-sized devices have given employees and employers a powerful tool to easily record playbacks of sensitive workplace conversations which are legal in some states and illegal in others. The recordings can be used in court or administrative hearings -- or subject the parties involved to public criticism. |
| (Source: Business Insider, 2011-07-28) |
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| For the many small businesses that operate outdoors, summertime poses a regular threat to their employees' health. But there are ways owners can minimize heat-related hazards -- and the potential for legal woes. Last year, there were 138 fatalities and 592 injuries in the U.S. resulting from extreme heat, up significantly from 45 fatalities and 204 injuries in 2009, according to the National Weather Service. |
| (Source: The Wall Street Journal, 2011-07-29) |
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| Less than one-third of the largest U.S. employers now offer a defined benefit pension plan to new salaried employees, with the move away from the plans accelerating in recent years, according to new research. As of May 31, 30 percent of Fortune 100 companies offered a defined benefit plan to new salaried employees, according to New York-based Towers Watson & Co. |
| (Source: Business Insurance, 2011-07-31) |
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| A Fidelity Investments survey found that a majority of Americans do not understand how their pensions work. While over 42 million Americans currently have pensions, 71 percent of the 500 surveyed by Fidelity did not have detailed knowledge of how their pension plans operate even though over half reported they are depending on those pensions to help pay for living expenses in retirement. |
| (Source: Financial-Planning.com, 2011-07-28) |
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| Amid traffic jams, high gas prices, family needs, and a yen for more flexibility, what 21st-century worker hasn't thought about skipping the office scene and telecommuting instead? But taking a pay cut to do it? To some, the benefits outweigh the lost income. |
| (Source: Christian Science Monitor, 2011-07-25) |
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here to read the full article. |
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Ann Stewart, Of Counsel at Ice Miller, will present on Claims Administration: Permanent Total Disability
When: August 4, 2011
Where: Ritz Charles - Carmel, IN
Investment:
IWCI Members: $50.00
Non-IWCI Members: $75.00
View the agenda. |
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We are Having a Heat Wave!
It is not tropical, just hot. The National Weather Service issued several extreme heat warnings last month as temperatures consistently remained in the 90s with the heat index reaching over 100° (www.noaawatch.gov). It looks like it is going to remain hot, hot, hot for a while longer.
Injuries that result from heat stroke may be compensable if the work puts an employee at a greater risk for these injuries than the general public. If you have employees who work outside, you may need to make some adjustments and monitor your employees for heat-related injuries. IOSHA is involved in a national outreach campaign to raise awareness among workers and employers about the hazards of working outdoors in hot weather and recently published an alert to Indiana employers. IOSHA has resources on its website to help identify heat illnesses and strategies to develop to prevent injuries as a result of this hazard. . OSHA's technical manual also provides methods of addressing heat-stress situations.
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