Five Don'ts When Hiring Employees in California - Avoid A Lawsuit

Posted on Wed, May 22, 2013

Isn’t it true that nationwide employers can interview and hire employees for their California offices so long as they follow federal hiring laws?  In a nutshell, no way.  Hiring in California presents a host of nuanced, state-specific rules that often add up to “don’ts.” We list a few for you below.

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Tags: California, HR Allen Consulting Services, HR Informant, Privacy, Employment, Reasonable Expectation, Right, Hiring

Employers Still Haven't Learned. Using Social Media to Hire Exposes Employers to More Liability

Posted on Fri, Apr 26, 2013

Wouldn’t we like to know if a potential applicant has ever criticized a former employer, or whether their online presence gives evidence of illegal activity or violent, discriminatory or unethical behavior? Or just poor judgment? What if they belong to political groups, like the Tea Party or the ACLU?

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Tags: California, HR Allen Consulting Services, HR Informant, Privacy, Employment, Reasonable Expectation, Right, Hiring

Videotapping in the Workplace. Why not?

Posted on Thu, Apr 25, 2013

Picture this scenario:  you run a private residential facility for abused children.  Late one night, one of your computers is used to access pornographic web-sites and other inappropriate material in violation of several well-publicized workplace policies.  After further investigation, you learn that the inappropriate computer usage occurred on several occasions, but was limited to that one computer, which is located in an office shared by two day-shift employees in the administrative building.  Several employees have access to the building and could have used the computer on the nights in question.  Concerned that the culprit might be a staff member who works with the children, you hatch the perfect plan to catch him or her:  place a hidden camera in the office!  Of course, you don’t want to publicize its placement.  That would defeat the purpose and the guilty party would simply find another computer to use.  Besides, you plan to activate the camera only at night, several hours after the day shift has left the facility.  The daytime occupants of the office won’t care that it’s there.  Genius!

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Tags: HR Allen Consulting Services, HR Informant, Privacy, California Constitution, Employment, Reasonable Expectation, Right, Surveillance, Videotaping