October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Research has shown that as many as 21% of full-time employed adults have been victims of domestic violence and 64% of those affected indicated their work performance was significantly impacted. The CDC estimates that intimate partner violence victims lose a total of nearly 8.0 million days of paid work as a result of the violence. Learn more about what you can do at the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence.
Wellness program incentives may need revamping, according to Victoria Knight at the Wall Street Journal. Employers that offer insurance premium discounts or cash bonuses to employees who complete Health Risk Assessments need to be aware that preliminary new rules issued this month disallow requests for genetic information, which includes family medical history. The rules are not yet final – employers and insurers have until Jan. 5 to submit comments.
Two good recent posts from HR Daily Advisor on the topic of disability: How to Create a Disability-Friendly Workplace and Acceptable Affirmative Phrases for Discussing Disabilities
Thoughts from Training Time asks if your workplace is in a state of swine-flu freakout, and offers some helpful steps and a list of resources to keep panic at bay. Meanwhile, at Workers Comp Insider, Jon Coppelman look s at whether there is a link between swind flu and the ADA.
Legal Briefs
EEOC notes 23% increase in retaliation claims – compared to a 12% increase for other types of claims. “Management-side attorneys say many complaints come from laid-off workers. Moreover, retaliation is often easier to prove than discrimination, particularly since a 2006 Supreme Court decision adopted a broader definition of retaliation than some courts had used.”
Ever heard of a faithless servant lawsuit? Mark Toth gives you the scoop. He also highlights an egregious Colorado harassment case involving 21 former employees of a prison system. Yikes, bear in mind these charges were against staff not inmates!
Lighter side
Is your work environment nurturing your inner creative? Check out 9 work spaces where creative people get stuff done.
You aren’t a true corporate web celebrity until you’ve made the Sexy Executives site, which invites you to “Meet the silver-foxes and their lovely lady friends who rule our corporate world.”

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