As we celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. yesterday, the lack
of diversity among the Academy Award nominations made headlines. (Remember, Academy Awards are perhaps the
most well-known employee-recognition programs in the world.) The movie Selma – highlighting Martin
Luther King Jr.’s remarkable march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama – failed
to receive the nominations many believed the movie was due, which some
commentators attribute to racial bias on the part of Oscar voters. Others
point out that two other best picture nominees, The Theory of Everything
and Imitation Game, make the
business case for diversity, by illustrating that big ideas come from diverse
sources. All of these movies highlight
some of the benefits a
diverse workforce can provide, which in turn highlights the need for more
diversity in the entertainment industry.In other developments:
Discrimination
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The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in the Mach Mining case, which questions the pre-suit conciliation efforts of the EEOC.
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The EEOC sued a catering company for terminating a Rastafarian employee based on his refusal to remove a cap he believed was essential to his religion.
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Jon Hyman covered a recent case that highlights retaliation, asserting that retaliation claims are “the most dangerous claims that employers face.”
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After terminating the Atlanta fire chief for remarking that homosexuality is “vile, vulgar and inappropriate,” the Mayor of Atlanta is accused of religious bias.
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Robin Shea comments on a decision in a new Seventh Circuit case. The case claims that too much information about pending litigation in an SEC filing can be retaliation.
Technology
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A day after two government accounts were hacked, a senior White House official warned that reliance on usernames and passwords is insufficient cybersecurity. This comes as the Obama Administration prepares for the State of the Union address, which is expected to include cybersecurity initiatives.
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Blogging4Jobs covered five trends that all HR professionals should keep an eye on, including mobile and data security.
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Sierra-Cedar noted that 33 percent of HR departments plan to make changes to their technology in 2015.
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Spending on human resources technology is up, according to new research from Bersin by Deloitte.
Wage and Hour
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Wage & Hour Insights predicted that the salary caps under the FLSA may double.
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The New Jersey Supreme Court created a new test to determine who is an independent contractor versus an employee in that state.
Posted by: Kate Bischoff
