The Employer Handbook Blog

The 25 CRAZAZIEST job-interview questions of 2013

January 25, 2013 | by Eric B. Meyer

From my perspective, Glassdoor.com’s Top 25 Oddball Interview Questions For 2013 is one lobbed softball after another. Then again, I’m the guy who, as the interviewer, used to ask law students to name their favorite Supreme Court Justice of all-time.

{Totally a trick question. The only acceptable response is, “Judge Elihu Smails.” Never happened. Coincidentally, my tenure on the Hiring Committee was brief.}

But, before we call it a day, I’m sure you’re all dying to know how I would have answered four of the oddball questions:

New app promises to sanitize your employees’ Facebook pages

January 24, 2013 | by Eric B. Meyer

The self-congratulatory comments I left below the picture of my awesome seven-story beeramid.

My candid review of Cinemax’s After Dark lineup from Arbor Day 2011.

My plea to George Carlin to go beyond the self-imposed boundaries of seven dirty words.

Fact or Fiction: Your employee’s nasty facial scar may be a disability

January 23, 2013 | by Eric B. Meyer

That’s right folks. It’s time for another edition of “Fact or Fiction” a/k/a “Quick Answers to Quick Questions” a/k/a QATQQ f/k/a “I don’t feel like writing a long blog post.”

Your new employee at local pizzeria has what we’ll call a “facial deformity.” So, rather than having him work the cash register, or otherwise emerge from the kitchen, you mandate that he work in the back so that no customers will ever see him.

Have you violated the Americans with Disabilities Act?

Supreme Court to decide how an employee must prove Title VII retaliation

January 22, 2013 | by Eric B. Meyer

What makes retaliation the most common discrimination claim in America?

I suspect it’s because other forms of discrimination (e.g., race, gender, disability) are more difficult to prove and don’t always result in an adverse employment action, such as termination of employment. And since most people like to keep their jobs, they’re more reluctant to rock the boat.

Conversely, retaliation always includes adverse action — quite often a firing — and follows what the law terms a “protected activity” (opposition to discrimination or participation in the statutory complaint process). So, you have a situation where an employee suspects discrimination is afoot, complains about it, and then gets fired.

Where do WEDGIES fit into your progressive discipline policy?

January 18, 2013 | by Eric B. Meyer

I know. I know. Seems more like a “Tuesday” post.

Earlier in the week, I read this article on The Smoking Gun about a man who got busted giving wedgies to movie patrons outside of a Florida theater.

So, it got me thinking.

Court ok’s firing teacher who called students ‘future criminals’ on Facebook

January 17, 2013 | by Eric B. Meyer

Jennifer O’Brien has a master’s degree in education and certifications as an elementary school teacher and supervisor.

All that education and no common sense.

You’ll see what I mean after the jump. It’s what we wordsmiths call a s&!*storm of a clusterf#%k.

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Who are YOU to tell ME that I’m not offended by sexual harassment?!?

January 16, 2013 | by Eric B. Meyer

The original working title for the post was “The Third Circuit takes a deuce on my ‘Pottymouths’ post.” I meant it in the figurative sense. Otherwise, I would be at a loss for words with IT.

More so than usual…

{Napalms browser history}

But, fortunately, good taste and high morals — we’re all about that here at the Handbook {cough} {fart} — prevailed.

Click through to see what a federal appellate court had to say about whether a female plaintiff with an apparent propensity for the cursey-cursey may successfully pursue her sexual-harassment claims.

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HOW TO: Properly address disability accommodation when hiring

January 15, 2013 | by Eric B. Meyer

I was reading this federal court opinion over the weekend. It involves a disability-discrimination claim brought by a deaf man who applied to become a lifeguard at a county pool, but didn’t get the job because the county thought his disability would compromise swimmer safety. Plus, the town was not convinced that it could accommodate the deaf applicant because it couldn’t be 100% certain that he could safely be on the lifeguard stand alone, without someone constantly by his side.

Folks, I’m guilty.

I’ll admit, that when I started reading this opinion, I immediately jumped to the same conclusion as the county-defendant. How could it possibly be safe to employ a deaf lifeguard?