Last week,
scientists announced that a
blood test may be able to detect depression. This development serves as a reminder that depression
is in every workplace. In fact, the
Centers for Disease Control estimate that nearly
1 in 10 Americans will suffer from a depressive illness in any given year.
So what does
this mean for employers? Under the ADA
and comparable state laws, depression can be a disabling condition that
requires reasonable accommodation in certain circumstances. HR professionals and supervisors need to be
mindful that depression can have an impact on any workplace, and ready to
respond to requests for accommodation.
In other
developments:
Discrimination
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The U.S. District Court of Northern Illinois dismissed the EEOC's case against CVS over its severance agreements. This was a big blow to the EEOC’s arguments that severance agreement violate Title VII if they prohibit recovery for discrimination violations.
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Eric B. Meyer examined how employer sympathy is not a defense to an ADA claim.
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The OFCCP announced a $900,000 settlement of discrimination claims against a Florida construction contractor.
Technology
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Forbes reminded HR professionals that they must stay current in technology to remain competitive, and Jessica Miller-Merrill advocated for the death of excel spreadsheet for recruiting.
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SHRM discussed the advent of various recruiting tools that look and act a bit like Tinder and eHarmony.
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After all other methods failed, a New York judge allowed a man to serve court documents via Facebook, further integrating social media into our forms of communication.
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Former employees disclosed how Home Depot left its data vulnerable to a breach.
Wage &
Hour
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The U.S. Department of Labor announced $10.2 million in grants to help states detect and combat worker misclassification.
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With laws increasing minimum wages on the rise, Doug Hass reminds employers that paid sick leave laws are also gaining steam.
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Shell and the U.S. Department of Labor settled an “off-the-clock” case for $4.5 million, which will go to 2,700 employees.
Posted by: Kate Bischoff
