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| New forms of sexual harassment
in the workplace are developing as greater numbers of employees use text messages and e-mail to
communicate with co-workers. |
| (Source: Miami Herald (free reg. req'd),
2009-08-25) |
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| A senior U.S. immigration
official said that his agency will intensify a crackdown on employers of workers in the country
illegally as part of the Obama administration's new immigration strategy. John Morton, the new chief
of U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement, a unit of the Department of Homeland Security, said that
the agency is set to increase the number of companies it will audit and systematically impose fines
on violators. |
| (Source: The Wall Street Journal,
2009-08-18) |
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| Faced with what has been
called an "enforcement tsunami," more companies are running legal checks on their hiring practices
and documentation of employees. The chief concerns: training human resources personnel and hiring
managers to spot problems on documents and how to conduct thorough reviews of job applicants'
documents to comply with federal regulations without exposing them to potential discrimination
lawsuits. |
| (Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (free reg. req'd), 2009-08-23) |
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| As businesses struggle because
of the recession, federal officials are concerned that another swine flu outbreak could further
devastate the economy. The Commerce, Homeland Security and Health and Human Services departments
issued guidelines Aug. 19 to the business community to help avoid a flu outbreak in the
workplace. |
| (Source: Las Vegas Sun, 2009-08-28) |
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| The Department of Homeland
Security released new directives covering border searches of electronic devices and media, but the
government's rules leave open the question of whether individuals can be compelled to provide
passwords and encryption keys. DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano in a statement characterized the rules
as an attempt to balance the investigatory requirements for fighting crime and terrorism with
privacy and civil liberties. |
| (Source: Information Week,
2009-08-28) |
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| United Parcel Service Inc.,
the world's largest package-delivery company, violates federal law by limiting workers' medical
leave, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in a lawsuit. UPS since at least 2002
has had an inflexible 12-month leave policy, which doesn't provide for reasonable accommodation of
employees with certain disabilities, the government said in federal court in Chicago. |
| (Source: Bloomberg, 2009-08-28) |
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| For job hunters, that very
first line on your résumé can influence potential employers, although considering someone's name as
part of the decision-making process is not only wrong but illegal, says San Diego State University
Human Resources Professor Christine Probett. But that doesn't mean it's not happening. |
| (Source: CNNMoney.com, 2009-08-27) |
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| The IRS will announce 2010
contribution limits for 401(k) plans in October, based on a formula tied to the inflation rate in
the third quarter vs. the year-ago quarter. Unless inflation picks up in August and September, the
IRS could be forced to reduce the cutoff to $16,000 in 2010, according to an analysis by Mercer, a
human resources consultant. |
| (Source: USA Today (free reg. req'd),
2009-08-26) |
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| A couple of new surveys
illustrate how the rise of social networks like Facebook are affecting the way we relate to
co-workers or job candidates. To friend a co-worker or not shouldn't be a question if you learn how
to use Facebook's privacy settings, said Jackie Kim, manager of temporary services agency
OfficeTeam's San Francisco branch. |
| (Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer,
2009-08-24) |
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| Nearly half of U.S. employers
include spouses in wellness programs, up from roughly 10 percent five years ago, estimates Helen
Darling, head of the National Business Group on Health, which represents 280 employers. |
| (Source: The Wall Street Journal,
2009-08-31) |
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| Jenifer
Brown |
Christl
Glier |
Similar to other immigration-related audits and raids, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
(USCIS) recently began a new anti-fraud initiative to investigate and seek out potential abuses of
the H-1B temporary worker program. The H-1B visa category is limited to highly-skilled,
specialty occupation workers who hold a minimum of baccalaureate level education. Under this new
anti-fraud initiative, USCIS has hired private contractors to conduct approximately 25,000 random
site visits of H-1B employers across the country. The purpose of these visits is to confirm
the legitimacy of the employing entity, that the H-1B employee is actually working for the employer
and that the terms and conditions of the employment are as described in the H-1B visa petition and
related documentation submitted to USCIS and the U.S. Department of Labor.
Read the entire article regarding site
visits to investigate H-1B workers. |
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After several extensions,
the final rule mandating use of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) E-Verify system for
certain qualifying federal contractors and subcontractors is set to go into effect on September
8, 2009. Under the final rule employers with covered federal contracts commenced or
modified on or after September 8, 2009, that include the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)
E-Verify clause, will be required to participate in the E-Verify program. Employers with
federal contracts should determine whether they are covered and prepare for the implementation of
E-Verify to ensure adherence to the various deadlines in the regulations.
Read the entire article on E-Verify. |
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The Board is
Cracking Down on Delay!
When you are relying on a medical report for a permanent partial impairment rating (PPI), or to
terminate temporary total disability on a Form 38911 because the employee has reached maximum
medical improvement, a copy of that report must be attached to the PPI agreement or to the Form
38911. The documentation must be sent to the employee as well as the Worker's Compensation
Board of Indiana. For more information you can contact Ice Miller or check out the Board's Web site.
If you have questions about workers' comp, please contact Ann
Stewart.
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Register to Attend the Indiana Workers' Comp Conference and Receive $100 Off the Current
Price of the Event.
September 14-15, 2009
Indianapolis, Indiana
Sheraton Indianapolis Hotel and Suites at Keystone
Please join Ice Miller attorneys at this year's Indiana Workers' Comp Conference in
Indianapolis. Learn valuable information that will help you minimize risks, handle complex
claims, and maximize safety and prevention. Information is appropriate for both those new to the
Indiana worker's compensation system and also for the seasoned professionals trying to improve their
workers' comp program and save money. Learn more about this event.
To take advantage of the $100 discount, you must call (800) 942-4494 and mention priority code
8844SPE. This offer is not available for online registrations.
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