The Colorado Supreme Court ruled on June 15, 2015 that an employer maintains the right to have a policy restricting the use of medical marijuana by employees (Coats v. Dish Network). The Court held that the Colorado law that defines “lawful” activities means activities that are lawful under both state and federal laws. State Supreme Courts in California, Montana and Washington have come to similar conclusions. Colorado’s Lawful Activities Statute states that “lawful activities” are protected if off-duty and not on employer premises (bona fide restrictions apply, such as safety sensitive). Under federal law, marijuana use is illegal under the Controlled Substances Act, however the Justice Department decided in 2009 not to prosecute medical marijuana users who are complying under state law.     Arizona, Delaware, and Minnesota have statutes (with exceptions that relate to federal law compliance) that expressly prohibit employers from firing an employee for a positive marijuana drug test if that employee holds a valid marijuana prescription, however these laws have not be tested in the courts by employers. These three states’ statutes have very similar text with regards to employer prohibitions, but Colorado’s text is very different. Today, 24 states have passed laws allowing the use of medical marijuana. Four states (CO, WA, AK, OR) and Washington, D.C. have passed laws permitting “recreational” use. Oregon’s recreational use law, which takes effect in July, allows employers to maintain a drug-free policy and drug test employees and applicants.   Looking for more HR tips? Check out our previous post, Is Your Company’s 401(k) Plan Working the way It Should?  For any HR-related questions  or join the HR listserv (just email HRQuestions( @ ) printing.org). Do you have a superior workplace? Why not market your Best Workplace and increase your recruiting and retaining benefits? Enter the Best Workplace in the Americas program, the only industry HR program of its kind recognizing top employers from small, medium, and large companies. Competition deadline for entries is September 30. For more information see...

  The Colorado Supreme Court ruled on June 15, 2015 that an employer maintains the right to have a policy restricting the use of medical marijuana by employees (Coats v. Dish Network). The Court held that the Colorado law that defines “lawful” activities means activities that are lawful under both state and federal laws. State Supreme Courts in California, Montana and Washington have come to similar conclusions. Colorado’s Lawful Activities Statute states that “lawful activities” are protected if off-duty and not on employer premises (bona fide restrictions apply, such as safety sensitive). Under federal law, marijuana use is illegal under the Controlled Substances Act, however the Justice Department decided in 2009 not to prosecute medical marijuana users who are complying under state law.     Arizona, Delaware, and Minnesota have statutes (with exceptions that relate to federal law compliance) that expressly prohibit employers from firing an employee for a positive marijuana drug test if that employee holds a valid marijuana prescription, however these laws have not be tested in the courts by employers. These three states’ statutes have very similar text with regards to employer prohibitions, but Colorado’s text is very different. Today, 24 states have passed laws allowing the use of medical marijuana. Four states (CO, WA, AK, OR) and Washington, D.C. have passed laws permitting “recreational” use. Oregon’s recreational use law, which takes effect in July, allows employers to maintain a drug-free policy and drug test employees and applicants.   Looking for more HR tips? Check out our previous post, Is Your Company’s 401(k) Plan Working the way It Should?  For any HR-related questions  or join the HR listserv (just email HRQuestions( @ ) printing.org). Do you have a superior workplace? Why not market your Best Workplace and increase your recruiting and retaining benefits? Enter the Best Workplace in the Americas program, the only industry HR program of its kind recognizing top employers from small, medium, and large companies. Competition deadline for entries is September 30. For more information see...

Great employees are out there, but how do you find them? Here Jim Kyger, Assistant Vice President of Human Relations, shares valuable tips from a revealing new HR survey. In May, PIA’s HR Department conducted an ad hoc HR Trends survey on common questions from PIA members.  Recruiting sourcing for various types of positions (production, sales, management/administrative, and IT).  Employee referrals and on-line job banks were deemed by survey participants as the top sources for each category above.  Employee referrals have long been a successful recruiting tool for printers.  The incentive for the referral typically varies from the company to company. I have seen some members offer a higher incentive for hard-to-find positions.  The incentive can vary from a few hundred dollars to even $1,000.  Some firms vary the payout, such as half at time of hire and half six months later.  Where do employees find these referrals?  Friends at previous employers, family members, and friends and neighbors are often cited.  A word of caution however; a company employee referral policy should state that the prospective employee should be someone that your current employee knows.  You don’t want to get into a situation where an employee is recruiting for you and is misrepresenting the company or get the firm into trouble with EEO laws or friendly competitors nearby. On-line job banks were cited as the most effective source of recruiting for management/administrative and IT employees.  Fortunately, there are lots of job banks available.  While cost is a consideration, effectiveness should be your primary concern.  A job bank geared to the printing industry is probably going to be your most effective source.   Most PIA affiliates offer local job banks. Plus, Printing Industries of America offers a national Job Bank for members at a discount. Use this link to access and get the discount.    See Jim when he presents Identifying New and Qualified Employees for a Changing Printing Industry at GRAPH EXPO 15, September 13–16, in...

Great employees are out there, but how do you find them? Here Jim Kyger, Assistant Vice President of Human Relations, shares valuable tips from a revealing new HR survey. In May, PIA’s HR Department conducted an ad hoc HR Trends survey on common questions from PIA members.  Recruiting sourcing for various types of positions (production, sales, management/administrative, and IT).  Employee referrals and on-line job banks were deemed by survey participants as the top sources for each category above.  Employee referrals have long been a successful recruiting tool for printers.  The incentive for the referral typically varies from the company to company. I have seen some members offer a higher incentive for hard-to-find positions.  The incentive can vary from a few hundred dollars to even $1,000.  Some firms vary the payout, such as half at time of hire and half six months later.  Where do employees find these referrals?  Friends at previous employers, family members, and friends and neighbors are often cited.  A word of caution however; a company employee referral policy should state that the prospective employee should be someone that your current employee knows.  You don’t want to get into a situation where an employee is recruiting for you and is misrepresenting the company or get the firm into trouble with EEO laws or friendly competitors nearby. On-line job banks were cited as the most effective source of recruiting for management/administrative and IT employees.  Fortunately, there are lots of job banks available.  While cost is a consideration, effectiveness should be your primary concern.  A job bank geared to the printing industry is probably going to be your most effective source.   Most PIA affiliates offer local job banks. Plus, Printing Industries of America offers a national Job Bank for members at a discount. Use this link to access and get the discount.    See Jim when he presents Identifying New and Qualified Employees for a Changing Printing Industry at GRAPH EXPO 15, September 13–16, in...

Great employees are out there, but how do you find them? Here Jim Kyger, Assistant Vice President of Human Relations, shares valuable tips from a revealing new HR survey. In May, PIA’s HR Department conducted an ad hoc HR Trends survey on common questions from PIA members.  Recruiting sourcing for various types of positions (production, sales, management/administrative, and IT).  Employee referrals and on-line job banks were deemed by survey participants as the top sources for each category above.  Employee referrals have long been a successful recruiting tool for printers.  The incentive for the referral typically varies from the company to company. I have seen some members offer a higher incentive for hard-to-find positions.  The incentive can vary from a few hundred dollars to even $1,000.  Some firms vary the payout, such as half at time of hire and half six months later.  Where do employees find these referrals?  Friends at previous employers, family members, and friends and neighbors are often cited.  A word of caution however; a company employee referral policy should state that the prospective employee should be someone that your current employee knows.  You don’t want to get into a situation where an employee is recruiting for you and is misrepresenting the company or get the firm into trouble with EEO laws or friendly competitors nearby. On-line job banks were cited as the most effective source of recruiting for management/administrative and IT employees.  Fortunately, there are lots of job banks available.  While cost is a consideration, effectiveness should be your primary concern.  A job bank geared to the printing industry is probably going to be your most effective source.   Most PIA affiliates offer local job banks. Plus, Printing Industries of America offers a national Job Bank for members at a discount. Use this link to access and get the discount.    See Jim when he presents Identifying New and Qualified Employees for a Changing Printing Industry at GRAPH EXPO 15, September 13–16, in...

Is becoming a certified sustainable or green printing operation a priority for you? If not, you may want to take a closer look at what certification can do to transform your business. Many print customers are demanding that their products be produced in a sustainable fashion. In addition to meeting customers demands, sustainable business practices provide business benefits as well as protect the environment. Companies that have become certified under the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership have been able to cut their operating costs, increase their productivity, and reduce their impact on the environment. In an exciting development, New York State has become the first state to preference printing companies certified under the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership. This means that decision makers in the state are encouraged to issue contracts to printing companies who follow SGP’s standards in sustainability. By making this decision, New York clearly announced their positive stance on a drive for a greener tomorrow. “The decision to give preference to SGP-certified facilities is significant, as it formally recognizes the value that SGP certification provides for sustainability and sustainable print procurement,” commented Gary Jones, Assistant Vice President of EHS Affairs at Printing Industries of America and SGP board member. “This is the first step in a wide-scale recognition that facilities certified by the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership are able to meet the needs of those print customers that have made sustainability a part of their print procurement specifications.” If you’d like more information on the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership or how your business can become more environmentally friendly, contact our Environmental Health and Safety department by emailing Gary Jones by clicking...