Bullhorn, specializing in On Demand, front office staffing and recruiting software, announced integration of its online recruiting platform, Integrated Resume Search, and its job posting functionality, JobCast, with Yahoo! HotJobs. Available immediately to Bullhorn customers as part of the Bullhorn Winter Edition, Integrated Resume Search and JobCast enable recruiters to source candidates and post jobs in real time on Yahoo! HotJobs without exiting Bullhorn or launching a new interface.

The ASA Staffing Index declined from December to January, however there is a hint of stabilization in 2009. The index moved from 81 the week of Dec. 15 to 73 the week of Jan. 12. During that one-month period, the index dipped to 69 the week of Dec. 29 (a seasonal holiday trough), but rebounded following the holiday week and has remained at 73 for two consecutive weeks.

Hirease, a full-service employment screening company, adds NCCRIM to provide instant, online access to the most current information available from the NC Administrative Office of the Courts. NCCRIM translates the "green screen" 2.5 million criminal cases processed each year into a clear, user-friendly system.

Cytiva Software Inc., provider of on-demand recruiting software solutions, announced SonicSaves, a free program designed to help businesses uncover wasteful spending in their recruiting process and cut costs in 2009. Under the program, businesses can receive a free consultation with a SonicRecruit product specialist, who will perform a diagnostic on their candidate management efforts and provide a detailed analysis of where they may be able to save money.

HRchitect, HR systems & talent management strategic consulting firm, has won the prestigious "Medium-Sized Business of the Year" award this past weekend at the annual Frisco Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet.

Careerjet, an employment search engine for Japan, that maps an extensive selection of job offerings by listing worldwide job vacancies in one database, driving traffic to the original job listing website and revenue based on a pay per click principle and an auction system.

The Human Capital Institute (HCI), a professional association and think tank advancing the science of strategic talent management, announced that GlobalEnglish, provider of online learning and support for business English communication, is sponsoring a new HCI online education and community track focused on improving productivity among members of global teams, those business teams whose members work in offices across the globe, represent different cultures, and speak different primary languages.

InDepth with The National Law Journal
Many people view President Barack Obama's Jan. 29 signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act as a major advance towards workplace equality, but management-side labor and employment lawyers fear a flood of lawsuits.

The law, known colloquially as the Ledbetter Act, amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and reverses a 2007 U.S. Supreme Court decision, which set a 180-day statute of limitations for employees filing wage discrimination charges. Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., 550 U.S. 618 (2007). The Ledbetter case involved a long-time female manager at a Goodyear plant who learned upon retirement that she had earned less than her male peers. The Supreme Court threw out a jury award on the ground that Ledbetter didn't meet the statute of limitations.

Under the new law's so-called "paycheck rule," each paycheck restarts the worker's 180-day clock for filing claims.

Alison N. Davis, a Washington shareholder with employment law firm Littler Mendelson of San Francisco, spoke with National Law JournalThe National Law Journal about how the law will affect existing and new wage discrimination claims and about pitfalls for companies.

NLJ: How do you expect the new legislation to impact wage discrimination?

AD: I expect to see an increase in pay discrimination claims. Anytime an employee gets a paycheck they believe was based on a discriminatory decision, the clock is ticking for them to file a charge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or their local fair employment agency. In a lot of cases, the employees would not [previously] be bringing these claims because the [wage] decision had actually occurred years ago. Since circumstances have changed, it gives them an opportunity to revive that claim.

NLJ: Could the new law revive existing lawsuits or claims?

AD: The effective date of the law is May 28, 2007, so any claims brought since that time that the EEOC or a court may have dismissed as being untimely can go forward.

NLJ: How many years of back wages could someone potentially collect?

AD: Even though you have repeated opportunities to file a charge, the maximum you can recover is two years of back pay from the date that you filed a claim. They would take the total amount of pay you received during that two-year period, determine how much you should have received but for the act of discrimination, and you'd get the difference.

NLJ: What kinds of wage discrimination claims are affected?

AD: It's more than gender-based claims. Because it amends Title VII you can claim you were discriminated against based on any protected categories under Title VII, including religion, national origin and color. It also amends the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, so [someone] can bring claims based on their age. It also amends the Americans with Disabilities Act. Somebody could claim the discrimination in pay was because they were disabled.

NLJ: Could any employment practices besides wages be challenged in lawsuits?

AD: It [involves] any type of practice that impacts an employee's pay, including promotions. If the promotion was discriminatory, and the promotion would have led to a higher salary, then somebody could be challenging a promotion decision that was made years ago. It's a way to bring promotion claims that might otherwise have been barred. To the extent that your promotion impacts your paycheck, each paycheck you get starts clock ticking on a claim of wrongful denial of a promotion.

NLJ: Can retirees make claims?

AD: Looking at the language, it's possible that they could bring claims.

NLJ: Does the law limit companies' defenses for paying employees doing the same job different wages?

AD: This law doesn't eliminate any defenses if you have a legitimate business reason for the pay differential. The employee is going to have to prove that's not the real reason, it's because of their membership in a protected category. For example, if they were hired when there was a high demand for a position, that's a legitimate reason for paying that person differently than someone else.

NLJ: What challenges or problems does the law present to employers?

AD: [People] basically can challenge a decision that was made decades or years ago. So how [does a company] prove today that the original decision wasn't discriminatory? Will the witnesses be around? Some may have retired. Some may have left on bad terms and don't' want to cooperate. Also, where are the documents? Do [companies] know where the memo is?

NLJ: What will happen in a case where an employer can't demonstrate a legitimate business reason for a wage decision because a potential witness has left the company or documentation doesn't exist anymore?

AD: If there is no documentation or no witnesses, then the employee is going to prevail.

NLJ: Does the combination of the new law and the current economic climate increase the possibility of lawsuits?

AD: You will see a definite uptick in the number of wage discrimination claims. You would expect to see that anyway because of the increase in layoffs. Now with the passage of this bill, you'll see even more. You'll see it added to the claims that exist, such as wrongful termination [lawsuits].

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The Bugler publishes recruiting industry news, featuring a Calendar of Events each Friday. Please send your company news to Polly Tasker for inclusion in The Bugler. More indepth news stories can be found in the Electronic Recruiting News.