Blog Posts: Taking Care of HR Business
Visit the Full BlogHuman resource professionals, supervisors, and company executives alike face a constantly changing and evolving legal landscape. Verrill's Taking Care of HR Business blog is here to keep you up to date on the newest and most important legal developments for employers.
What Employers Need to Know About The Families First Coronavirus Response Act - An Animation
Navigating the ins and outs of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) can be difficult for employers. This animation seeks to illustrate some of the most important takeaways. Transcript: Hi, I'm Tawny, a partner in Verrill's Labor & Employment Practice Group. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act provides...
This Week's Show: Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping
On Saturday, October 17, Tawny interviewed Benjamin Ford, Partner in Verrill's Employment & Labor Group, for this segment of HR Power Hour. For this episode, Ben and Tawny discuss combating race and sex stereotyping. Ben learned firsthand that the best product in the world means nothing unless you have...
Flu Season is Coming, but Can I Require My Employees to Vaccinate?
As flu season approaches, employers are searching for answers on how to deal with viruses spreading throughout the workplace. The question is, “Can I mandate employees receive the flu vaccine?” Are there standards in place? How does COVID-19 come into play? Some concerns to be mindful of and risks...
This Week's Show: Personal Branding and Staying Relevant During COVID-19
On Saturday, October 3, Tawny interviewed Nancy Marshall, Founder and CEO of The PR Maven, for this segment of HR Power Hour. For this episode, Nancy and Tawny discuss personal branding and staying relevant during COVID-19 . In 1991, Nancy Marshall Communications (now Marshall Communications) was born, a life-changing...
This Week's Show: Why Diversity and Inclusion Programs Fail
On Saturday, September 19, Tawny interviewed Asker Saeed, Principal of Saeed Consulting LLC, for this segment of HR Power Hour. For this episode, Asker and Tawny discuss why diversity and inclusion programs fail . Asker A. Saeed is Principal of Saeed Consulting LLC, a full-service consulting firm for law...
Action Item & FAQ: New Maine Paid Leave Rules Address Business Concerns
On January 1, 2021, LD 369, An Act Authorizing Earned Employee Leave takes effect for Maine employers. Passed by the Legislature in 2019, Maine employers have been patiently waiting for clarification as to the responsibilities accompanying 26 MRSA § 637. The statute itself provides that “An employer that employs...
School is Back in Session, But Are Employees? Navigating the FFCRA in the Midst of Schools Reopening
Summer is coming to end, but not all students are heading back to the classroom. Many parents are facing the decision of whether to send their children to school in-person, enroll them in remote classes, change to a home-schooling model, and/or figure out how to balance limited school schedules...
This Week's Show: Small Acts of Leadership
On Saturday, August 22, Tawny interviewed G. Shawn Hunter, President and Founder of Mindscaling, for this segment of HR Power Hour. For this episode, Shawn and Tawny discuss his new book, Small Acts of Leadership: 12 Intentional Behaviors That Lead to Big Impact. Shawn is a dynamic, practical, entertaining...
Support for the Black Lives Matter Movement: Include Hair Style and Texture In Anti-Discrimination Policies
This is the sixth post in a 12-part series on how companies can show support for the Black Lives Matter movement by changing company policies and practices. This post focuses on the importance of updating grooming/personal appearance policies and EEO/anti-discrimination policies to include language that forbids discrimination based on...
This Week's Show: Cause Marketing and Employee Engagement
On Saturday, August 8, Tawny interviewed Rob Laplaca, Partner in Verrill's Litigation & Trial group and Chair of the Promotions group, for this segment of HR Power Hour. For this episode, Rob and Tawny discuss cause marketing and employee engagement. Rob practices in two primary areas: promotion law and...
Support for the Black Lives Matter Movement: Third-Party Intervention Training
This is the fifth post in a 12-part series on how companies can show support for the Black Lives Matter movement by changing company policies and practices. This post focuses on the importance of third-party intervention training for employees and managers so that they have tools and resources to...
This Week's Show: Title VII Protects Sexual Orientation
On Saturday, July 11, Tawny interviewed Benjamin Ford, Partner in Verrill's Employment & Labor group, for this segment of HR Power Hour. For this episode, Ben and Tawny discuss the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision, specifically how Title VII protects sexual orientation. Ben learned firsthand that the best product...
This Week's Show: Mental Resiliency in the Workplace
On Saturday, June 27, Tawny interviewed Kate Simpson, Co-author and Developer of Take Two: A Journal of New Beginnings , for this segment of HR Power Hour. For this episode, Kate and Tawny discuss building resilience at work, specifically how the Take Two journal came about and how it...
OSHA Publishes Return-to-Work Guidance; Reminder to be Mindful of Employee Medical Record Retention
OSHA has published Guidance on Returning to Work to assist employers in understanding their obligations under OSHA as they continue the process of re-opening and returning employees to work. Employers should review this document in conjunction with state and local regulations concerning re-opening, as well as the CDC Guidance...
Support for the Black Lives Matter Movement: Implicit Bias Training (Part 4 of 12)
This is the fourth post in a 12-part series on how companies can show support for the black lives matter (BLM) movement by changing company policies and practices. This post focuses on implicit bias and the effect it has on the work environment and choices that leaders can make...
This Week's Show: Overcoming Intercultural Issues in the Workplace
On Saturday, May 16, Tawny interviewed Liz Greason, Co-Owner of Maine Intercultural Communication Consultants, LLC, for this segment of HR Power Hour. For this episode, Liz and Tawny discuss overcoming intercultural issues in the workplace. She lived in the Middle East for many years, where she taught students from...
This Week's Show: Learning From Your Failures
On Saturday, June 13, Tawny interviewed Robert Baldacci, MPA of Baldacci Consulting, for this segment of HR Power Hour. For this episode, Robert and Tawny discuss his history and learning from failures. Bob brings a successful 30 year career in real estate, development and corporate finance. He has held...
Supporting the Black Lives Matter Movement: Anti-Discrimination Training (Part 3 of 12)
This is the third post in a 12-part series on how companies can support the Black Lives Matter movement through changes in company policies and practices. Our last post focused on reviewing and updating your EEO Policies. In this post we will focus on best practices in training managers...
Supporting the Black Lives Matter Movement: Update EEOC Policies (Part 2 of 12)
This is the second post in a 12-part series on how companies can show true support for the Black Lives Matter movement by changing company policies and practices. The focus of this post is to understand the role that a company’s EEOC policy plays in creating a safe work...
Showing True Support for the Black Lives Matter Movement Means Changing Company Policies
Statements of inclusion and solidarity with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement by companies are important, but not enough. What are some steps that you as a business owner or HR leader can do to change and implement policies that can lead to actual change? If you don’t already...
This Week's Show: Don't Forget General Obligations When Focusing On COVID-19
On Saturday, May 9, Tawny interviewed Elizabeth Johnston, Associate in Verrill's Employment & Labor Group, for this segment of HR Power Hour. For this episode, Liz and Tawny discuss the importance of not forgetting employers' general obligations in the midst of COVID-19. A regular contributor to Verrill’s Taking Care...
Can I Require Employees to be Tested for COVID-19 Before Entering the Workplace?
Yesterday, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) published guidance in response to this question and the agency’s answer was yes—“an employer may choose to administer COVID-19 testing to employees before they enter the workplace to determine if they have the virus.” (See Q. A.6). The EEOC noted that under...
This Week's Show: Intellectual Property for HR Professionals
On Saturday, April 18, Tawny interviewed Kelly Donahue, Partner in Verrill's Intellectual Property Group, for this segment of HR Power Hour. For this episode, Kelly and Tawny discuss intellectual property for HR professionals, including delving into trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and patents. Kelly assists small and large businesses in...
This Week's Show: The FFCRA and CARES Act
On Saturday, April 4, Tawny interviewed Benjamin Ford, Partner in Verrill's Employment & Labor Group, for this segment of HR Power Hour. For this episode, Ben and Tawny discuss the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic based on information currently available. Topics covered include recent CARES Act and FFCRA...
Hiring During the COVID-19 Pandemic: What You Can Do
Despite the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, business—and hiring—must go on. As the EEOC continues to update its guidance regarding employment practices during the pandemic, here are common questions regarding how to implement legally-sound hiring practices while protecting your workplace. Q: May I screen job applicants for COVID-19, and if so...
To Test or Not to Test: Employer Considerations Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
Q: I am concerned about employees coming to work with a fever—can I test employees’ temperatures before allowing them to work to avoid spreading the coronavirus? Verrill’s View: Maybe—but there are many factors to consider. Generally, taking an employee’s temperature would be a restricted medical examination, but employers may...
This Week's Show: Maintaining a Strong Culture as Your Organization Grows
On Saturday, March 7, Tawny interviewed Sean Riley, President and CEO of Maine Course Hospitality Group, for this segment of HR Power Hour. In this episode, Sean discusses that Maine Course's purpose is to positively impact lives. He speaks of the company's purpose and values every chance he gets...
This Week's Show: Verrill's 2020 Annual Employment Law Update
On Saturday, February 22, HR Power Hour published our live interviews at our 2020 Annual Employment Law Update, asking attendees about the all-day event, HR concerns they have for the coming year, and more. Tawny interviewed Eric Altholz, Partner in the Employee Benefits Group at Verrill. She talked to...
This Week's Show: Top 5 OSHA Mistakes Employers Make
On Saturday, February 8, Tawny interviewed Mat Todaro, Partner in Verrill's Environmental & Land Use Practice Group, for this segment of HR Power Hour. For this episode, Mat details the top 5 OSHA mistakes that employers typically make. Mat works closely with clients in many areas, including assisting them...
Podcast: The Legal Perspective of Creating a Respectful and Inclusive Workplace
It's important to remind yourselves that human resource law is ever-changing and it takes acknowledging your organization's environment to be sure it is an inclusive and comfortable place for your employees. In this episode of Verrill Voices, employment and labor attorney Tawny Alvarez discusses how organizations with respectful and...
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