Employees do the darndest things, and HR frequently winds up trying to undo the damage. One of the highlights of HR Specialist’s upcoming Labor and Employment Law Advanced Practices Symposium (March 18-20 in Las Vegas) will be a session on “The Most Bizarre Recent Workplace Cases—and What You Can Learn from Them.” Here’s our take on the topic, with cases pulled from the pages of HR Specialist newsletters.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a new FMLA poster to go along with the new FMLA rules that will take effect Jan. 16. Don’t waste budget dollars buying new posters from HR vendors. You can download the official version for free right here.

It will soon be time once again to trash those blank I-9 forms that you have stuffed in your files. The feds announced on Dec. 17 that U.S. employers must begin using a revised version of the Form I-9 by Feb. 2, 2009.

No federal or state law requires employers to use job applications. But if you do require applicants to fill them out, know the legal do’s and don’ts of what questions to ask. Here's the topic-by-topic guidance you need, along with relevant records-retention rules.

Federal law says employers are allowed, but not required, to make copies of the drivers' licenses and other documents that their employees show for I-9 purposes. But is it legally wise to make those copies? Attorneys are split on the issue. Here's our analysis, plus answers to six common I-9 questions ...

On Nov. 17, the U.S. Department of Labor finalized the first major overhaul of the FMLA regulations in 15 years. Some changes favor employers, but others will make FMLA compliance trickier than ever. Here's what's in store. BONUS! HR Specialist will hold an audio conference briefing to help you comply with the new regs.

When Barack Obama takes office in January, get ready for the most sweeping employment-law changes the HR world has seen in years. Attorney Mike Fox walks you through the legislation likely to reshape HR, possibly even in the first 100 days of the Obama administration. Here’s how to prepare.

When Barack Obama takes office in January, it may signal a time of enormous change for the world of labor and employment law. Depending on how many Senate seats Democrats control, here are two potential scenarios for change, the eight key legislative issues in the hopper and what you can do right now to prepare ...

It's a deceptively simple concept: You have to pay nonexempt employees for every hour they work. But employers often trip over interpretation of that law when it comes to exceptions such as meal and rest breaks. Here's a plain-English explanation of a sometimes tricky situation. PLUS! Find out what workers are really doing on their coffee breaks!

When faced with poor-performing or disruptive employees, too many supervisors simply hope the situation will improve. The result: Problems worsen and morale deteriorates. The best approach is to meet with employees using this four-step discussion plan, says HR training expert Amy Henderson, who will host her popular HR Specialist audio conference, Problem Employees: Coach ‘Em, Discipline ‘Em, and Turn ‘Em Around, on Thursday, Oct. 30, at 1 p.m. ET.

Billboards, breakfast and foot massages .... As the job market tightens, job seekers are becoming more creative in their efforts to attract the attention of potential employers. In fact, 12% of hiring managers surveyed by CareerBuilder.com reported that they are seeing more job seekers try unusual antics to capture their attention.

Interview questions come in all flavors. Sometimes they’re straightforward, sometimes they're tricky and sometimes they’re just plain weird—“If you were an animal, what kind would you be?” But the best interview questions focus on what applicants know how to do. Here are 20 questions you can use to elicit the information you need to pick the right person for the job.

HR pros have an important role to play in helping their companies weather the economic downturn. Whether sitting in on C-Suite meetings, offering one-on-one counsel to decision-makers or training employees, you need to know about the strategies successful companies use to survive and thrive in tough economic times.

The ADA Amendments Act of 2008—signed by President Bush Sept. 25 and taking effect Jan. 1, 2009—will require HR professionals to thoroughly review all policies and practices involving employment of people with disabilities. Here's a run-down of the major changes under "the new ADA."

Congress gave final approval on Sept. 17 to legislation that will bring more Americans under the umbrella of “disabled” under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Here's what the bill means to HR professionals and U.S. employers ...