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Job Ad

HUMAN RESOURCE COORDINATOR – NEWTON TOWN (Sussex County, NJ) is accepting applications for a part-time (20 hours/week) Human Resource Coordinator. Applicants should have two (2) years of experience in the field of personnel/payroll/benefits administration with a BA from an accredited college or university. Municipal government experience preferred and knowledge of MS Office products required. The position requires daily contact with town personnel and excellent organizational, communication, and computer skills. Any applicant offered the position must submit to a drug/alcohol test and meet all New Jersey Civil Service Commission requirements. Salary range $15-$18/hour DOQ.  Please submit a cover letter, resume, and application via mail to Thomas S. Russo, Jr., Town Manager, Town of Newton, 39 Trinity Street, Newton, NJ 07860 or via email to trusso@newtontownhall.com by close of business, Friday, February 3, 2012. Ad Posted January 18, 2012, Ad Removed January 31, 2012

  

Posted in HR for HR Professionals.


Job Opening from Sussex Warren In Transition Group-Pensions

Regina McGuire (Continuiti HR Staffing, 973-830-8300 x 12) is looking for someone who understands/is sufficiently familiar with PENSIONS – they don’t have to be some heavy hitter – any smart self-starter with good project management skills should do the trick. The job entails doing administration, dealing with vendors, moving special projects along. It’s a 6-month assignment up near Clifton, NJ paying around $45 an hour

Posted in HR for HR Professionals.


Job Opening from Sussex Warren In Transition-Diversiy, Princeton

Please contact directly: 

Princeton has posted the position of Director of Diversity and Inclusion for the Office of Human Resources and is accepting applications. If you or anyone you know would be interested in this position, we encourage you to apply to the posting on the Jobs at Princeton website at https://jobs.princeton.edu.  

  Title:                                                     Director of Diversity and Inclusion
Department:                                      Office of Human Resources
Requisition Number:                     0110835
Grade:                                                  ADM 09

  Position Summary:

  Reporting to the Vice President of Human Resources, the Director for Diversity and Inclusion is a key member of the Senior Leadership Team in Human Resources and the University wide Institutional Equity and Diversity Team.  This individual will take a lead role in the design, implementation, research and analysis of initiatives that support our employees by improving awareness and understanding of diversity and inclusion as a relevant skill set for all employees, as well as identify and coordinate strategies that link diversity’s relationship to institutional excellence.

  Duties & Responsibilities:

  1.       University-wide:
a.       Serve as a member of the University’s Institutional Equity & Diversity Team which designs strategies and sets goals to support the University’s diversity initiatives and the Diversity Council
b.      Work closely with campus partners, e.g., Community and State Affairs, Alumni Council, etc. to build partnerships and initiatives that strengthen an inclusive workplace environment
c.       Serve on the Advisory Committee for Disability Services; identify collaborative opportunities that link disability services with the work of the Diversity Council and Human Resources, especially in the area of recruitment and retention
d.      Work closely with the Director of Equal Opportunity to ensure that appropriate and accurate HR information is provided for annual affirmative action data
e.      Research and share analytic reports designed to inform marketing, recruitment and retention initiatives
f.        Coordinate the research, development and analysis of employee based diversity assessment projects working with established campus partners
g.       Enhance diversity programming and implement integrated workplace inclusion activities by actively engaging stakeholders at all levels  

  2.       Departmental
a.       Collaborate with the Senior Leadership Team in Human Resources to:
Develop innovative HR practices to address issues of retention and recruitment of a diverse workforce, identify and utilize technologies (links to faculty web pages, blogs, electronic newsletters, etc.) to brand the University as an employer of choice to the targeted populations; provide assistance with the development of a cultural competency curriculum as part of Learning & Development offerings; conduct routine audits of compensation, promotions and reclassifications to ensure fairness and equity
b.      Act as internal consultant to HR colleagues on creative ways to incorporate diversity into baseline business
c.       Collaborate with HR Communications team to develop a strategic plan for continuous updates to the Employee Resource Group pages and links to the HR website
d.      Collaborate with colleagues on the Client Services Team regarding the development of diversity plans for the departments that we serve
e.      Serve as resource, liaison and HR advisor to Employee Resource Groups  
f.        Develop a strategic plan and approach designed to improve Princeton’s visibility and reputation as an employer of choice in communities previously disassociated or under-associated with the campus
g.       Interact with professional organizations in the local communities (e.g. Princeton Chamber of Commerce and  area corporations, etc.)

  Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

  ·         Strong knowledge and experience in research design, statistical analysis, measurement, assessment methodologies and practice
·         Demonstrated project management skills that include developing project plans, determining resources, and managing multiple projects simultaneously
·         Experience with and a personal orientation toward a collaborative approach to work and the ability to influence an outcome through a consultative methodology
·         Excellent interpersonal skills, including the proven ability to establish rapport and credibility with a wide-range of constituencies
·         Ability to communicate effectively with diverse populations verbally and in writing
·         Demonstrated ability to think and act strategically for the short- and long-term
·         Strong knowledge of and commitment to advancing diversity awareness and inclusion
·          Strong commitment to customer focused, relationship based service
·         Ability to work independently while functioning as part of a team
·         Deep knowledge of diversity fundamentals within higher education as well as their legal framework
·         Ability to design and cultivate innovative approaches to retention and recruitment efforts
·         Strategic planning capability with solid analytical ability and good judgment on both the technical and people side of the house
·         Operational ability to execute and deliver results on strategic plans
·         A passion for integrating holistic human resources strategies into the University’s core objectives
·         A results and goal-oriented individual with the maturity, persistence and patience necessary to work effectively with a diverse variety of internal and external constituents
·         A high degree of personal integrity and ethics

  Qualifications:
·         Bachelor’s degree
·         Seven to ten years of progressively responsible leadership positions
·         Excellent writing, speaking, platform and presentation skills
·         Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite of applications
 
Preferred Qualifications:

  ·         Advanced degree and/or equivalent experience in a relevant field  
·         Training in quantitative and qualitative research methods preferred and the ability to use quantitative statistical analysis programs (SPSS or SAS)
·         Experience in Institutional and/or Diversity Research
·         Experience with web content applications

  The successful candidate will join an organization dedicated to balancing the needs of the Princeton University and its employees with compassion, respect and transparency.

   
Cheri A. Lawson
Director for Equal Opportunity Programs
Office of the Provost
204 Nassau Hall
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ  08544

  609.258.8504  phone
609.258.8555  fax

Posted in HR for HR Professionals.


FMLA rights: pre-eligibility request is protected

USA

January 16 2012
As most employers know, the Family Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) protects employees of covered employers who take leave for specified family and medical reasons by affording the employee unpaid, job protected leave with continuation of group health insurance coverage.    
To be eligible for leave, the employee must have worked the requisite number of hours and be entitled to leave because of a triggering event such as the birth of a child.  In a case of first impression for the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, Pereda v. Brookdale Senior Living Communities, Inc., the Court held that the FMLA does, in fact, protect employees who make a pre-eligibility request for post-eligible leave.
Pereda began working for Brookdale, a senior living facility, in October 2008, and was terminated 11 months later in September 2009.  In June, she advised her employer that she was pregnant and that she would be requesting FMLA leave in November 2009.  Pereda claims that after Brookdale learned of her pregnancy, she was harassed and later placed on a performance improvement plan, which caused her stress and other complications with her pregnancy.  She was then terminated.
Brookdale argued that because Pereda was not eligible for FMLA leave, they could not have interfered with her FMLA rights or retaliated against her.  The district court agreed, but that decision was overturned by the Eleventh Circuit.
In finding that Pereda did state a claim for both interference and retaliation related to her FMLA rights, the Court relied on the FMLA regulatory scheme, which includes the 30-day notice requirement and the Department of Labor implementing regulations. 
The Court reasoned that “without protecting against pre-eligibility interference, a loophole is created whereby an employer has total freedom to terminate an employee before she can become eligible.  Such a situation is contrary to the basic concept of the FMLA.”
The lesson for employers to take away is that they should be very careful in how they handle FMLA issues, specifically pre-eligible requests.  The purpose of the FMLA is for the protection of the employee and the law will construed in that fashion

Posted in HR for HR Professionals.


Has the Pendulum Started Swinging Back in Favor of Employers

By Howard A. Vex, Esq.

 

            An important case was decided this fall entitled Jo Miceli v. Lakeland Automotive Corporation.  For the past two decades when an employer claimed that an employee’s charge of sexual harassment had no merit, the state courts almost always allowed the claim to go all the way to jury trial, giving the employee her day in court irrespective of the weakness of her claims.  The standard for bringing a gender based hostile work environment claim has not changed.  The employee must demonstrate that the conduct complained of occurred but/for their gender, was severe or pervasive and that a reasonable woman would consider their working environment altered and hostile or abusive.

            Although plaintiffs have been able to get past the summary judgment standard, they still must meet all of the above elements at the time of trial.  Nevertheless, general ability for virtually all sexual harassment plaintiffs to force an employer to engage in costly litigation all the way up to the trial phase forced settlements even when the claims were quite weak.  The Miceli case and other recent cases appear to have changed the games.  The courts have made it more difficult for plaintiffs to defeat summary judgment and weak claims that do not clearly meet the necessary basic elements of the charge as set forth above are now dismissed more frequently.

            Jo Miceli was the only female car sales person at the dealership.  She got into two nasty disputes with a co-worker who told her that her quote “day is coming” and that she “will get yours.”  She reported these claims to management and the co-worker was warned not to behave in such a manner.  Another argument subsequently ensued and Miceli accused the same co-worker as follows:  “Why are you acting like an animal?”  the employee responded by stating “Kiss my ass, I’ll show you how animals act, so you better be very afraid.”  Ms. Miceli reported this second comment and the co-worker was warned by management of possible discharge.  No further action has ensured.  Ms. Miceli then left employment due to an unrelated accident and two years later elected to sue the dealership for hostile environment/sexual harassment.  In the past, many lawyers would have recommended settling this case because it was a “he said/she said” case and the plaintiff’s lawyer would likely be able to force the employer all the way up to the time of a jury trial.  However, times are clearly changing.  The New Jersey courts have expressly confirmed that the law against discrimination is not a general civility code.  The Miceli court dismissed the plaintiff’s claim for summary judgment.  While the co-worker’s conduct was “impolite, boorish and reflecting a lack of human kindness”, there was no evidence that the conduct was predicated on plaintiff’s gender.  The co-worker was found to have been nasty to other employees and was essentially an equal opportunity offender.

            This new trend is very important to employers.  When a demand letter is received from a plaintiff’s attorney and the claims are simply that a co-worker or supervisor was nasty or uncivil to the employee, such claims are no longer enough to automatically force an employer all the way through the litigation process to trial.  The employee must be able to produce evidence connecting the mistreatment to their gender.  The pendulum has clearly started swinging back to a more reasonable position.

Howard A. Vex

Counsellor At Law

 

1001 Route 517 35 Sparta Avenue
Hackettstown, NJ 07840 Sparta, NJ 07871
(908) 852-2600 (973) 726-0555
Fax: (908) 852-8225 Fax: (973) 729-3809

 

Please visit us at:  www.ckclaw.com

Posted in HR for HR Professionals.

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Some Additional Lessons from the Penn State Debacle

By Howard A. Vex, Esq.

            The tragic story of child sexual abuse at Penn State resonates with us all.  However, the sensational nature of the dispute has obscured some of the critical issues employers must address regarding criminal conduct by employees in the workplace.  First and foremost, does an employer or co-worker have a duty to report criminal conduct observed on the job?  Unfortunately, both statutes and case precedent dealing with the issue create a very large grey area necessitating a careful case by case by case evaluation.  Some issues considered are whether the criminal conduct was job related or whether the employer benefited from the criminal conduct, such as fraudulent trade practices.  However, even if the criminal conduct is wholly unrelated to the job, an employer can still get into trouble if they were aware of the criminal conduct but allowed the employee to continue engaging in the criminal conduct on work time and others are harmed.  Another interesting point to remember is that it is a criminal offense in itself to offer an employee an exchange that the employer will not turn the employee in to the authorities in exchange for the employee’s immediate resignation. 

            These issues raise serious concerns that most employers never think about until an actual incident occurs.  For this reason, it is strongly recommended that all senior management teams have a serious discussion regarding the potential for criminal conduct on the job and put a policy in place so that when the unthinkable occurs, the company has a strategy in place to address it.

Howard A. Vex

Counsellor At Law

 

1001 Route 517 35 Sparta Avenue
Hackettstown, NJ 07840 Sparta, NJ 07871
(908) 852-2600 (973) 726-0555
Fax: (908) 852-8225 Fax: (973) 729-3809

 

Please visit us at:  www.ckclaw.com

Posted in HR for HR Professionals.

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The Unemployed Find New Protections under New Jersey’s Antidiscrimination Laws

By Howard A. Vex, Esq.

   A company manufacturing ultrasonic cleaning equipment in Ewing, New Jersey was the first employer in the nation to be prosecuted for posting a help wanted ad that included the requirement:  “Must be currently employed.”  New Jersey law makes it illegal to publish hiring notices that exclude those that are currently unemployed from applying.  No other state in the nation similarly extends this level of antidiscrimination status.

  Although the employer, Crestek, is currently contesting the $1,000 fine imposed against them, concern regarding bias against the jobless, when the national unemployment rate hovers at or above 9%, has been a growing concern.

  Although the Christie administration initially vetoed the law creating the ban on discrimination against the unemployed, a revised version of the bill received approval of the Governor’s office.  The revised law reduced the proposed fine for first time offenders from $5,000 to $1,000 and added language preventing applicants from suing potential employers.

 Apparently taking a cue from New Jersey, the Obama administration’s proposed Jobs Act contains express provisions to prevent recruiters from screening out unemployed applicants.  This is just one more example of why employers must be ever vigilant regarding the continually expanding protections of New Jersey’s antidiscrimination laws.

Howard A. Vex, Counsellor At Law

1001 Route 517 35 Sparta Avenue
Hackettstown, NJ 07840 Sparta, NJ 07871
(908) 852-2600 (973) 726-0555
Fax: (908) 852-8225 Fax: (973) 729-3809

Please visit us at:  www.ckclaw.com

Posted in HR for HR Professionals.

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SWIT Job Opportunity-Please respond directly

Temporary Office Help Reporting to HR Mgr. 

 

Rate $15/hr

Hours- about 8-16 a week

Duration- approx. 3 weeks,  maybe be longer

Location – Somerset, NJ

Responsibilities: filing, scanning and other HR/Office/Finance admin work while someone is out on FMLA leave

Contact- mmelendez@alscg.com    (Michelle Melendez)

Posted in HR for HR Professionals.

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Sparta Networking Group Information

Greetings Everyone,

We are set to resume the job networking meetings this coming Monday,  Jan. 23rd.  As a topic of conversation for our initial meeting I would like to discuss effectively using your Networking contacts in your job search.

The schedule for the first half of 2012 is as follows:     Monday  Jan.  23rd   @  7:30pm  St. Lucy Room (2nd floor)

.                                                                                               Monday  Feb. 13th   and    Feb. 27th   @ 7:30pm  St. Lucy Room (2nd floor)

                                                                                                Monday  Mar. 12th   and    Mar. 26th   @ 7:30pm  St. Lucy Room (2nd floor)

                                                                                                Monday  Apr. 16th    and    Apr. 30th   @ 7:30pm  St. Lucy Room (2nd floor)

                                                                                                Monday  May 14th    @  7:30pm  St. Lucy Room (2nd floor)

                                                                                                Monday  Jun. 4th     @  7:30pm  St. Benedict Room (2nd floor)

Monday Jun. 18th    @  7:30pm  St. Lucy Room (2nd floor)

As always please forward this information (as well as the job leads I send periodically)  to anyone else you might know that can benefit.

Feel free to call me if you have any questions.

Best Regards…..  Bill

Posted in HR for HR Professionals.


Workshop Series for Job Seekers by former Merrill Lynch Recruiting Exec

Workshop Series for Job Seekers by former Merrill Lynch Recruiting Exec

Two churches in Northern New Jersey – New Providence Presbyterian and Long Hill Chapel – are co-hosting a Workshop for Job Seekers starting on the evening of Wednesday January 25th and continuing for 10 consecutive Wednesdays. The free seminar series will be held at New Providence Presbyterian at 7:30 PM and will be led by the former Head of Global Recruiting for Merrill Lynch. A link to more information and registration information is provided below. Send me an email if you want the brochure.

http://careerdirections.eventbrite.com

Regards,
Cary Drake
CIT "Alumni"

 

Posted in HR for HR Professionals.