Establishing/managing the employment relationship—
Recruitment, selection (testing), performance appraisal [Ch. 3]

[Read case law analysis, Malos, 2005, or at least skim summary Tables for basics]

  Job Analysis, Validation, and Performance Appraisal in Discrimination Litigation

 

A) Legal Issues in Recruitment and Employment Testing

 

1) Problems in Establishing the Employment Relationship: Application of Griggs

        a) Nepotism, Word-of-Mouth, Walk-ins, Internal Postings

                proving/defending discrimination claims

        b) Diversity/EEO/Affirmative Action Programs/Preferences/Test Score “Banding”

        c) Background Checks, Negligent Hiring, References, Salary and Criminal History

               -Duty of due care to conduct reasonably diligent background checks

               -Liability for negligent hiring where failure to do so would have disclosed past problematic behavior that recurs and would have been foreseeable with background check                   -Recall that it is impermissible to use salary history to determine whether to make a job offer or salary level if offer is made [see Topic 1]

               -CA "Ban the Box" law [Govt. Code Section 12952], effective Jan. 1, 2018, prohibits inquiries into applicant's criminal history prior to making a conditional job offer; once offer made, employer must conduct individualized assessment on relevance of criminal history to specific job duties [e.g., nature and gravity of offense, time passed since, etc.]

              -Senger (9^th Cir. 1996—in class) [see also http://www.mlaw.org/wwl/photos.html]

              -Randi W. (in class); Employment References: The tightrope between defamation, negligence, and misrepresentation)

        d) Reminder re: Compulsory Arbitration, Non-Competition, and Non-Disclosure [“Trade Secrets”] Agreements [“NDA”s]: Hiring Effectiveness Implications

          

2) Adverse Impact and Employer’s Defense—Validation!

*Griggs v. Duke Power revisited proving/defending discrimination claims 

     -"4/5 Rule" Example

*Albemarle Paper Co. v. Moody [in class]

*Bradley v. Domino’s 

 

3) Test Validation: Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (UGs) EEOC's Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures

*Criterion-related Validation (see web graphic Criterion-related Validity)

*Content Validation (see web graphic Content Validity)

*Construct Validation (see web graphic Construct Validity)

 

4) Specific Types of Tests (text @ 143-160)

*Structured Interviews (da best!! See Condensed version of Dr. Malos' JAP Structured Interview paper (for Testing module))

*Polygraphs (Employee Polygraph Protection Act; general prohibition subject to exemptions)

*Paper & Pencil Personality/Integrity Tests (Soroka video, if time)

*Physical Ability, Medical, HIV/AIDS (note ADA issues;; more later in Chapter 12)

-Genetic testing illegal in California (per Y2K FEHA amendments)

-Nonconsensual health testing illegal

-Drugs/Alcohol testing (constitutional issues re: government employees)

 

B) Legal Issues in Performance Appraisal

 

1) Review Table(s) from Malos, '98 re: overall "Best Practices" (text @ 167)

-Performance Appraisal and Related Legal Issues--Malos, 98;

-Documenting Performance Appraisals

 

2) Negligent Performance Appraisal (Vaughn v. Edel revisited)

-Must be some duty to appraise performance and to do so with due care—e.g., in handbook; see cases digested in Performance Appraisal and Related Legal Issues--Malos, 98

 

3) Defamation revisited (see generally "Tightrope" link re: Randi W. case above)

        -Jensen v. HP (in class)