Companies with federal contracts or subcontracts may soon risk losing their contracts if they do not meet quotas to hire more disabled workers. Proposed rule changes would require employers with federal contracts and subcontracts to set a hiring goal that 7 percent of their employees are qualified workers with disabilities.

Along with underfunded corporate and public pensions, many union pensions are massively in the red. For employers who have union workers who participate in these types of multiemployer pension plans, the growing liability involved with withdrawing from pension funds presents a serious issue.

Striking the balance between the need to hire qualified employees and the need to avoid disability discrimination claims has become even more challenging since changes to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) went into effect in 2009.

If one of your employees calls her boss an insulting or obscene name on her Facebook page, you might think you could fire her without fear of reprisal. But you could be wrong. One company found itself in exactly that situation.

Any employer who has faced potential class-action wage-and-hour lawsuits knows what a headache they can be. Due to a recent court ruling, employers have a lot more to worry about. That case, Pippins v. KPMG, has caused tremendous turmoil and confusion among those who follow employment litigation and electronic discovery.

In prosecution of wage and hour violations, the stakes are getting personal. In several recent cases, the government has penalized company owners and officers for failing to pay overtime, imposing stiff fines and even imprisonment.

Boeing Co. is trying to expand production and add manufacturing capacity, something most other companies can only dream about doing in this economy. Unfortunately, Boeing has hit a snag. But it is not the economy that is hampering the company. It’s the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Union membership in the private sector stands today at a mere 6.9 percent, down drastically from its high of 35 percent during the mid-1950s. However, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has made recent moves likely to pave the way for unionizing attempts in the workforce.

While the “must be employed to apply” philosophy may make sense, federal regulators are examining these types of policies, and at least one state has made it illegal.