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BLR Acquires Connecticut Human Resources Reports

BLR announced today the acquisition of Connecticut Human Resources Reports, a Woodbury, Connecticut, corporation that publishes What to Do About Personnel Problems in Connecticut and Employee Compensation in Connecticut.

“Even before this acquisition, BLR was the nation’s largest publisher of state-specific employment law and pay practices expertise for organizations,” said Dan Oswald, CEO of BLR. “This solidifies our company’s role as the leading policy and practice answers provider for Connecticut’s HR managers and executives. We are delighted to introduce Connecticut Human Resources Reports subscribers to our online services, webinars, conferences and newsletters.”

Current Connecticut Human Resources Reports customers will gain immediate access to either HR.BLR.com or Compensation.BLR.com for the remainder of their subscriptions, depending on their current field of interest. At the conclusion, they will have the opportunity to renew.

“We have enjoyed a close professional and personal relationship with the BLR management team for many years,” said Connecticut Human Resources Reports Partner Christopher N. Persson, SPHR. “It’s a top-flight organization and our subscribers will benefit from their array of employment law and compensation practices tools, such as the new Compensation Analyzer, which allows Connecticut employers to compare their employee pay ranges against those with geographic or operational similarities."

BLR’s product line includes online subscription portals HR.BLR.com, Compensation.BLR.com, Safety.BLR.com, and Enviro.BLR.com, online employee training through its TrainingToday division, California-specific services through its California Employer Resources division, HR conferences such as the annual Advanced Employment Issues Symposium, and webinars. For more information about current products, please visit the BLR catalog.

HR.BLR.com Recognizes National Employee Wellness Month with Complimentary Training Presentation

June 2012 will be the fourth annual National Employee Wellness month. In recognition of National Employee Wellness Month, HR.BLR.com is making its employee wellness training presentation, "Wellness and You", free for download until the end of June.

National Employee Wellness month--an initiative created in 2009 by Virgin HealthMiles that raises awareness about the critical role the private sector must play in positively impacting employee health, and offers tips on approaches business leaders can take to build a culture of health in their workplace.

"Wellness And You", HR.BLR.com's comprehensive employee wellness training presentation, helps employees to define wellness and recognize its benefits; identify the six basic requirements of a healthy life; learn how to take proper precautions to prevent illness; and live a healthier life. It covers nutrition, exercise, sleep, preventive health care, smoking, alcohol and drugs, high blood pressure, heart disease, stress and depression, among other wellness topics. The presentation includes detailed speaker notes, and reinforces major takeaways with question and answer slides, true or false quizzes, and points to remember.

To download this free training presentation, Wellness and You, at any time from now until June 30, 2012 visit http://hr.blr.com/training/HR-PowerPoints/Benefits-Leave/Employee-Wellness/Wellness-and-You/ .

New Video Breaks Down EEOC Guidance on Use of Arrest and Conviction Records in Employment Decisions

In new Enforcement Guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the EEOC "warns employers that using an individual’s criminal history when making employment decisions might be discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964," explains Legal Editor Susan Prince in a new video from HR.BLR.com.

In the video, Prince explains the Guidance, in which the EEOC addresses:

• the differences between arrest and conviction records
• disparate treatment and disparate impact analysis under Title VII
• what employer policies and practices qualify as “job related and consistent with business necessity”

In the video—which is free to watch-- Prince also explains six best practices identified by EEOC for employers who are considering criminal record information when making employment decisions.

The video is available at HR.BLR.com.

New Video Explains Dangers of Retaliation Claims, How to Avoid Them

Employee retaliation claims can be particularly dangerous for employers—and they are on the rise. In this new video, HR.BLR.com Legal Editor Joan Farrell explains what retaliation is, what types of actions are considered retaliatory, why employee retaliation claims can be so dangerous, and--most importantly--what employers can do to avoid them.

"One reason retaliation claims are on the rise, is that court decisions that broadened the coverage of retaliation protection, another is that employees often have more success with retaliation claims than other types of claims," Farrell explains in the video. "What can be particularly frustrating for employers is that a retaliation claim can survive even when the underlying complaint of workplace discrimination is dismissed.

"That’s because the laws against retaliation aren’t tied to the substance of the discrimination claim, they’re tied to the action the employee takes in filing the claim. As long as an employee has a reasonable, good faith belief that he’s complaining about discriminatory conduct, it’s protected activity. And there are different legal standards for proving retaliation."

In the video—which is free to watch--Farrell provides 6 things employers can do to avoid retaliation claims. The video is available at HR.BLR.com.

Two BLR Editors Included in Evan Carmichael’s ‘Top 100 Human Resources Experts to Follow on Twitter’

By Ed Keating, BLR Chief Content Officer

We are thrilled that two BLR® editors have made their debut on Evan Carmichael’s list of the April 2012 Top 100 Recommended Human Resources Experts to Follow on Twitter! Carmichael, who has over 76,000 followers on Twitter, writes “The Entrepreneur Blog” and advises businesses on Internet and social media practices.

Tony Kessler, Group Publisher at HR Hero®, ranked for @HRHero where he gives employment law advice for HR and business pros from law firms in all 50 states, D.C., and Canada.

BLR Editor Elaine Quayle was included for @BLR_HR Employment where she tracks news and information of interest to HR, compensation, and employment law professionals.

Thank you for the great resource, Evan, and congrats, Tony and Elaine!