Caffeinated Buzz ! http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:46:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 A Guide to Water Purification Technology http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/technology/a-guide-to-water-purification-technology.php http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/technology/a-guide-to-water-purification-technology.php#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:46:01 +0000 admin http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/technology/a-guide-to-water-purification-technology.php
Water purification technology continues to advance, particularly in the area of in-home or point-of-use methods of water purification. Some very old systems are still being used today. Let’s start with them.
Distillation has been around since ancient times. It was not developed as water purification technology, but as a method of creating alcoholic beverages. It has several disadvantages. The boiling process uses large amounts of energy and also results in the removal of essential trace minerals from the treated water.
Reverse osmosis is sometimes advertised as advanced water purification technology. But, that’s just marketing. Systems have been around for over fifty years and were originally designed for use in large scale treatment plants rather than in the home.
Reverse osmosis uses a membrane to act as a filter. The only substances that are removed are minerals and other contaminants that are heavier than water. It requires electricity for operation, so the cost of use is higher than other methods of water purification.
It is not truly a purifier, because bacterial contaminants are not removed. There is no disinfection with this method. It may be used as one step in a complete process, but in and of itself, it cannot make anything safe to drink.
Chlorination was a leap forward in water purification technology. When it was introduced, waterborne illnesses were rampant in this country. Today, we rarely see an outbreak, but researchers and scientists have warned that chemical disinfection methods of water purification are actually health hazards, themselves. So, if you live in an area where they are used, you need a point of use filter to remove the chemicals before consumption.
Disinfection through the use of UV lights is a relatively new water purification technology. It is cost effective, according to facilities that use it. It is one of the less commonly used methods of water purification because of the expense of installation and because of concerns that chlorine or other chemicals would still be needed to protect the water as it is stored in the tanks or travels down the tubes.
Carbon filtration, multi-media blocks and ion exchange have been responsible for advances in point-of-use water purification technology. They require no additional electricity. They are easily installed, easy to maintain and easy to use. They are affordable and still they remove many contaminants that more expensive methods of water purification cannot.
There are many other methods of water purification in use around the world. Everyone needs clean healthy water for drinking. In poverty stricken countries, waterborne diseases are still a major cause of illness and death, particularly among children.
Many diseases are transmitted through contaminated water-sources. Bird flu, Legionnaires disease, cholera, dysentery, typhus and others are problems all around the world, despite advances in water purification technology.

]]> http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/technology/a-guide-to-water-purification-technology.php/feed 0 Beer Basics, Quirks And The Birth Of A New Hobby http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/hobbies/beer-basics-quirks-and-the-birth-of-a-new-hobby.php http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/hobbies/beer-basics-quirks-and-the-birth-of-a-new-hobby.php#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:45:03 +0000 admin http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/hobbies/beer-basics-quirks-and-the-birth-of-a-new-hobby.php
Many people from all walks of life enjoy a cold beer at the end of a workday. Beer is considered to be one of the best thirst quenchers and a great way to unwind after a stressful day at work. We’ll begin this short article by reviewing the different types of beer, than I’ll share some of what I call quirks from different countries regarding beer and finally close with a hobby that has begun as a result of beer.
Types of Beer
Lager beer get’s bottom fermented. It is light bodied, and appears pale to yellow golden in color. It is refreshing, well carbonated and has a slight bitter taste, depending on the brewer.
Dry beer has no residual sugar and has a weak taste with more alcohol content than mainstream beer. It was first marketed in Japan and its popularity in the US is due to heavy marketing efforts.
Bock beer, introduced by the Germans used to be a specialty.
Ale, which is top fermented beer is a style invented by the English brewers.
Lager beers properly brewed need at least a month to age, so considering the consumption levels breweries are required to have a very large storage capacity.
Steam beer is an exclusively brewed blend to San Francisco, California. This uses a hybrid technique where both lager and ale brewing technology are used.
Bottled beer is pretty much all pasteurized. This may impair taste, but it prolongs the shelf life.
A Couple Brewing Quirks From Around The Globe
From Europe:
Most of the European breweries stick to the purity laws of Bavaria from 1516, which insist on using yeast, malted barley, hops and water. A later addition was wheat.
From North America:
To appeal to some market segments and to bring down the cost, the most well known North American beers have many additives.
From Belgium:
Belgians are popular for their fruit flavored (raspberry, cherry, strawberry, peach) ales. These are quite refreshing and appealing, both in aroma and texture.
Draught beers that are imported are micro filtered and not great in taste. Therefore, the low volume bars and restaurants would do better to stick to serving locally bottled beer. However, draught beer that is locally brewed is not pasteurized and its shelf life is limited.
From Switzerland and Norway:
In Switzerland and Norway, there are no regulations. They can use corn syrup, rice flour etc to give beer its different flavors and textures.
Beer Tappers and Beer Can Openers
When it comes to storing and serving beer, beer tappers are more useful than the beer pitcher, because the beer is kept cold and can be dispensed whenever required.
The Rise Of A New Hobby
In closing, beer can collecting as a hobby began shortly after the first beer cans, from the Krueger Brewing Company, appeared in stores in January 1935. This was a packaging revolution in the beer industry. Beer can collecting officially started as a hobby in St Louis in 1970 when Beer Can Collectors of America (BCCA), now the Beer Collectibles Club of America was formed. This has now triggered off the collection of another item, the beer can opener!

]]> http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/hobbies/beer-basics-quirks-and-the-birth-of-a-new-hobby.php/feed 0 Decorate your Home With a Home Improvement Loan http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/home-improvement/decorate-your-home-with-a-home-improvement-loan.php http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/home-improvement/decorate-your-home-with-a-home-improvement-loan.php#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:46:36 +0000 admin http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/home-improvement/decorate-your-home-with-a-home-improvement-loan.php
If you are fed up with scaly paints, wearing wallpapers, old tapestry, and dull surroundings in your home, then it is high time to improve your home. If finances come your way in your home improvement, a home improvement loan can help you in this regard. A home improvement loan is exactly been tailored according to your need of home improvement.
Lenders understand your reasons of home improvement. You can seek home improvement loans without any hassles. Whenever you need a loan, just apply it online and the lenders will contact you with their quote.
You can seek a loan on the equity of your home . On the other hand even if you have an adverse credit history then also you can go for a home improvement loan. So you need not have to worry at all if you have county court judgments, defaults, bankruptcy, against your name.
You would get a loan on a low rate of interest, provided that you should take a loan secured against your home. Security of your home entails a lower risk to the lenders. That is why they offer it at low interest rates. On the other hand if you don’t want to put security against your home then an unsecured loan is the option for you. Here you may have to pay the rate of interest at higher rates, but anyway you can get it at competitive rates.
The immense satisfaction, which you would get in a decorated house, can’t be expressed in words. So seek a home improvement loan and enjoy your decorated house.

]]> http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/home-improvement/decorate-your-home-with-a-home-improvement-loan.php/feed 0 7 Ways to Ensure Success With an Online Education Degree http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/education/7-ways-to-ensure-success-with-an-online-education-degree.php http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/education/7-ways-to-ensure-success-with-an-online-education-degree.php#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:46:14 +0000 admin http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/education/7-ways-to-ensure-success-with-an-online-education-degree.php
Attaining an online education degree has opened opportunities for many students, especially those who find paying for traditional full-time courses outside their reach. But as much as acquiring an online education degree has many benefits over traditional learning, many factors play a role in order to make it successful for online students. Because of the differences in the way that online education is disseminated and acquired, some amendments in approaching this mode of learning need be put in place to make it a success. 1. Choosing the right accredited online college or university – The first step is to select the right institution to provide for your online education degree. Do your homework before starting school, and make sure the school has been accredited by the appropriate accrediting agencies. Unfortunately, without that educational stamp of approval, the degree will not be worth the paper on which it is printed. In fact, “diploma mills” offer substandard, or no education with the promise of a quick (but worthless) degree. 2. Analyze cost vs. benefit – Some students enroll in a distance learning program without considering the cost. Generally, the cost per credit hour is fairly expensive. However, decide whether the education will translate into better income opportunities down the road. Only after assessing the true benefits can students appreciate the rewards of obtaining an education online degree. 3. Degree validation by employers – No wonder many employers are wary of online degrees. With bogus institutions literally selling degrees, employers have good reason to be doubtful and cautious. Therefore, immediately alleviate any potential misgivings by your prospective employer by offering verification of accreditation through an agency sanctioned by the U. S. Department of Education and CHEA. 4. Practice discipline, time management and be determined to succeed – During the course of learning, many students simply lack discipline and are unable to focus. This makes it difficult to keep up with their online lessons and coursework, it is thus crucial for students in pursuit of online education degree to have a great determination to succeed. It is very easy to lose focus and motivation when studying alone. Exercising good time management and keeping in constant touch with classmates would increase the morale to succeed. 5. Utilize all the facilities provided by your college – Many education degree online courses provide online lectures and email access to facilitate communication among students, lecturers and administration staff. It’s important to take full advantage of these services as they keep you “connected” with your accredited online college. It helps further your motivation in your studies when you make use of these facilities to stay in touch. 6. Make use of credit transfers – Many online education degree colleges allow students to transfer their credits from courses they took in previous colleges, whether online or traditional. By doing this, it means students don’t have to repeat courses they learnt before. For this to be effected, it’s important for a student who intends to pursue an education online to make sure they get transcripts and results from their previous universities or colleges and make them available to their accredited online college so they can be passed as transfer credits. 7. Using Educational technology is essential – The only way to facilitate an excellent online education degree is to take full advantage of all the educational technology available. Virtual libraries generally have all the information necessary to complete research projects and other assignments. The online materials have been factored into the cost of the course. The convenience is another reason for using this benefit to the fullest.

]]> http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/education/7-ways-to-ensure-success-with-an-online-education-degree.php/feed 0 Write a Successful Story With Feng Shui Career http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/careers/write-a-successful-story-with-feng-shui-career.php http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/careers/write-a-successful-story-with-feng-shui-career.php#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:45:56 +0000 admin http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/careers/write-a-successful-story-with-feng-shui-career.php
Career is the most significant and important part of anyone’s life and people do many things to make it successful. However, sometimes, the hard work does not reap the desired results and disappoints the person to a great extent. In fact, such circumstances can lead to depression as he thinks that his career has come to an end. However, with the help of feng shui career one can restore lost hope in a short span of time. In fact, it also helps in enhancing one’s career by great extent.

However, it is true that everyone has to earn his or her own living, unless of course one has been left with a fortune of millions or billions. In addition, many think that this can be possible only through the inheritance of fortune; however, with the help and solutions from feng shui career expert one can try to elevate his or her career and inherit a good and stable future. However, things can go very wrong as they do sometimes when we least expect them to. Well, feng shui career tips from an experienced expert can do wonders to any ones career and life. In fact, the expert offers remedies for enhancing career luck and to keep it this way forever.

For a career growth, one can always visit an expert or a consultant and he or she will guide the person in finding out his or her Kua number and the suitable directions for career. In fact, the feng shui expert will help in locating the Sheng Chi direction and the person will sleep with his head pointed towards this direction. However, if the career of a person has stuck then a little thing like changing the position of main door to face person’s personal ‘Sheng Chi’ direction might do wonders. With the help of Sheng Chi, one can also enhance the energies of his desk or office. The consultant will also advise the person to not to sit with your back to a window or a door. These features give support for back and he or she might be backstabbed or double-crossed by colleagues. In fact, look out for any poison arrows directed at the back caused by open shelves or sharp edges. Hence, taking assistance of feng shui career for the perfect future is good move.

For more fruitful results, hang a painting of mountains without water feature, such as lakes or oceans behind the working table. This will ensure good career prospective. If possible then keep some terrapins in office. Place potted plants to camouflage offending pillars that invite negative energies. However, be sure to give water to plants so that they do not wither and die. In fact, crystals make good remedies for career related problems. According to the feng shui, north direction represents career; as the element of this direction is water and the color is blue. In the north section of home or office, place a metal wind chime. However, remember not to hang anything that represents the earth or wood element in this section. Therefore, make your career perfect with the help of feng shui career.

]]> http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/careers/write-a-successful-story-with-feng-shui-career.php/feed 0 The Essentials of Business Advertising http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/advertising/the-essentials-of-business-advertising.php http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/advertising/the-essentials-of-business-advertising.php#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:45:36 +0000 admin http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/advertising/the-essentials-of-business-advertising.php
The success of a business depends a lot on the advertising skills used while promoting its product. In today’s competitive world, advertising helps a business to reach its target audiences through a well-planned campaign. Business advertising brings the customers to a product, which is sometimes a costly process. Lifeline of the Business Advertising is the lifeline of any business. These days, no one can imagine the success of a product without advertisement campaign. With proper and planned advertising, your business can achieve its targets and potential market. Business advertisement is generally intended towards popularizing a product, even before it is introduced in the market. It aims at convincing the audiences regarding the product’s features and its usability to them. Various Mediums of Advertising These days, an unadvertised business stands nowhere in this competitive world. Therefore it had become very important to advertise you business. Some of the famous mediums used today for advertising include Internet, yellow pages, direct mails, brochures, newspapers, and business cards. For placing the perfect ad in any of these mediums, the business owner should lay down the features of the product along with the reliability years in the business, delivery policy, license, guarantee, etc. This gives information about the product as well as details of the business. The business advertising through the online medium is comparatively cheaper than other traditional methods. Choosing the Right Medium Business advertising can be done through various mediums available in the market. These days, one of the major decisions involves choosing the right medium for advertising the product. It generally depends on the features of the product and the kind of audiences it would serve. The objectives of a business are also a major consideration while selecting a medium. The businessman looks out for significantly inexpensive sources, which can reach huge number of audience all around the place. Purpose of Business Advertising In simple terms, advertising refers to the promotion of a product through many marketing tools. A business can opt for any of the tools or mediums. The sole purpose of these tools includes- - Delivering information about the product to a large mass of audience. - Inform the customers about the benefits and usage of the product. - Promote your business and its brand. - Meeting long-term profits and targets. - Leaving an everlasting impact on the audiences by increasing public awareness of the business. Budget for Business Advertising There are many advantages related to business advertising. To achieve them, the advertising budget should be well planned and calculated. This amount of the budget should be especially used for advertising purposes only. Business with low budget opt for classified ads where as high budget business advertise through solo ads which gives maximum exposure to the product. Crucial for the Business Advertising can sometimes become crucial for your business, as it is the only medium through customers become aware of the product. Therefore it is important to lay down a planned, organized, and effective advertising of the business that is beneficial and successful.

]]> http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/advertising/the-essentials-of-business-advertising.php/feed 0 Guide to Cheap Annual Travel Insurance http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/travel/guide-to-cheap-annual-travel-insurance.php http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/travel/guide-to-cheap-annual-travel-insurance.php#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:48:43 +0000 admin http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/travel/guide-to-cheap-annual-travel-insurance.php
Vacations are for fun, it means leaving behind your job and responsibilities for a while. Having holiday travel insurance is one way of putting your mind at complete rest. It’s a lot easier to enjoy your trip if you know that you are covered from luggage lost to sickness.

The further your trip will be, the more you will need holiday travel insurance. This is common sense, as international trips are costly, so there’s a need to protect your hard earned travel money. So wherever you go, whether it’s to a local or international destination, it’s very important that you have the necessary insurance coverage.

Cheap annual travel insurance is an alternative choice for those budget- conscious travelers who are making more than one trip a year. The main feature of the annual travel insurance against regular travel insurance is that it saves you money. For a once annual payment, you become covered whenever you travel during the year. The terms and conditions vary between companies, but annual world wide travel insurance for unlimited travel is also available. Cheap annual travel insurance provides substantial cost savings than any regular type of holiday travel insurance.

Here are some tips for choosing your best cheap annual travel insurance:

Sign up with a reputable travel insurance agency that has worldwide offices which can easily be contacted during emergency needs.

The travel insurance agency should have 24/7 customer assistance which is essential for international travelers.

Always make your office’s 1-800 numbers available to you when you are abroad.

The cost of the insurance should not be more than 10% of your investment.

Read the terms and conditions of the policy to make sure you aren’t buying unnecessary or inadequate coverage.

Look for a refundable policy, especially if you have the history of changing your mind too often.

Good value travel insurance should cover at least the following:

a. Flight cancellation insurance or delay
b. Luggage loss and travel delay protection
c. Sickness and accident during the trip.
d. Evacuation support during an emergency situation such as natural calamities

Cheap annual travel insurance is good for you if you take vacations more than once a year. Instead of taking several insurance policies each time you travel, you can make use of a single travel insurance that could save you a lot of money and time. On the other hand, if you travel less often, an annual insurance policy is not for you since you will not be able to recover the cost.

]]> http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/travel/guide-to-cheap-annual-travel-insurance.php/feed 0 The Law Of Attraction And How To Become Debt Free http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/law/the-law-of-attraction-and-how-to-become-debt-free.php http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/law/the-law-of-attraction-and-how-to-become-debt-free.php#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:48:18 +0000 admin http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/law/the-law-of-attraction-and-how-to-become-debt-free.php
Using the Law of Attraction to become debt free may well be your first step to a better financial future! Statistics have shown that many people do not know how many credit cards they have in their wallets and last year more than 1. 5 million Americans have filed for personal bankruptcy. This has been a considerable increase in bankruptcy cases from the year before. Many people experiencing a heavy financial burden. If this has been your experience you can get help when using the Law of Attraction to get out of debt once and for all. The Law of Attraction is a cosmic law that work every time and that works exact. There are no exceptions. The knowledge of the Law of Attraction can now help you to turn your financial situation around . You can become debt free forever! But do not expect things to happen just overnight. Everything is a process. It took some time to get you were you are right at this minute when it comes to your financial situation. You did not accumulate this debt overnight. So do not expect it to go away overnight. With determination and consistency you can however make some big changes when it comes to your finances. Many people have already used this ancient knowledge since the Secret DVD was first aired. Even Oprah and Larry King Live have had talk shows on the same subject. So more and more people are familiar with this law and how it works. There are many books written on it also. You can even right there in the comfort of your own home in just a few minutes learn a great deal abut the Law of Attraction. The Law of Attraction is also called the Law of Love. Love is the highest vibration in this universe that is why love is so important. The way you are vibrating has everything to do with the things that you are attracting into your life. You may not believe this but it is true! You may have been unconsciously attracting the debts into your life experience. So what can you do to make this a total turn around when using the Law of Attraction? Here are just 3 simple steps that will get you started to a debt free future: 1. Sit down and make a list of all your debts. Write down you the name of the credit card company, retail store, and any other credit you owe. Next to the name write down the amount that you owe and then make room for the amount of interest that you are paying at this time. Then take out another piece of paper that is blank. Tape the blank piece of paper and write as a headline credits successfully paid off and tape it on the left hand side of your computer the list with all your credits, owed amounts and interests on the right hand side of your computer. Now you can see with one look at everything you owe. As you pay off the smallest owed credit first write this down on the blank sheet of paper on your left side of the computer and check it on the list on the right side of your computer. Make a new list every three month or every quarter of the year. Compare it with the first list and see for yourself how every month gets you closer to your goal of being debt free. You can see how the amounts owed and the interest that you are paying every month getting smaller. Every time you are able to write another credit off write it on the sheet on the left side. This helps you visually to keep up with your finances. 2. Along with this you want to get started in reprogramming your mind to make better choices when it comes to financial matters. You can do this by learning through books how rich people think. When you want to spend money or buy something think before you go ahead with the purchase. Ask yourself how often would you use this item and do you really need this item. This may help prevent you from impulse buying. When using the Law of Attraction you will learn more about yourself and how you can change thought patterns that are not helpful when it comes to money Meditation helps you to work along with your subconscious mind to become a person that is debt free and takes full control over financial matters. There is a heap of information available on meditation and how it works best for you. 3. Affirmations are also important when using the Law of Attraction to become debt free. Do not focus on how much you owe but think about how it feels to be a person without debts. This may be difficult to imagine for you but you need to try it. Remember that the Law of Attraction only responds to your feelings and emotions, so you want your feelings and emotions to match with what you want! Feel debt free and financial independent even if the current financial situation is very different! You already have taken care of your list now you can set up a reasonable payment plan and stick to it. Do not sit down and worry constantly about it but look into the future at a time when your debts are not a reality anymore. Try to avoid t making the same mistakes. Learn from your current situation. Continue to use the power of the Law of Attraction and get the mind of a money magnet. Keep focused on that and you will succeed! Learn more about the Law of Attraction and make it work for you!

]]> http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/law/the-law-of-attraction-and-how-to-become-debt-free.php/feed 0 Finding Cheap Travel Online http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/travel/finding-cheap-travel-online.php http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/travel/finding-cheap-travel-online.php#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:48:06 +0000 admin http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/travel/finding-cheap-travel-online.php

With airline fares threatening to rise, plus with the cost of going on vacation being in danger of increasing, hard working families can find it increasingly difficult to find affordable solutions. Cheap travel is essential to that much needed break, enabling you to get away from it all without having to worry about the cost. Fortunately, there are still plenty of cheap travel deals to be found online. By using the internet, you can find cheap travel solutions more easily than ever!
Online booking enables travel operators to cut out the middleman, making it possible to price travel much more cheaply. Making travel arrangements this way means that no-one has to pay for the high street offices or massive agency advertising which drive up the cost of travel. Online services can offer cheap travel to customers who are prepared to do some of the work themselves, for example by using search engines to find the cheap travel solutions which suit their requirements. If you decide the destination and the routes you want to use to get there, you can use online services to find cheap travel options which are also a cheap solution for the provider. You’ll probably also find that you enjoy having more control over managing your travel, with nobody giving you the hard sell or trying to persuade you that you might really prefer to travel somewhere else (probably at a higher cost).
The cheap travel options you find on the internet can work in several different ways. Sometimes low cost travel options are priced low due to the “frills” being removed. An example of this is no frills airlines, or cheap lodging solutions packaged with cheap travel. Cheap travel options are often targeted at a specific group, for example, many travel providers offer extra cheap destinations that may not appeal to the masses, or by offering packaged travel deals during the off season. Some offer deals to relatively “undiscovered” exoctic locations. Then there are the Last Minute Deals which can be made at the last minute, allowing the travel providers to fill empty spots on flights and hotels which would otherwise be left empty and generating no income for them. This means that booking online enables you to enjoy cheap travel deals even if you don’t have the time to organize and research your vacation. Booking cheap travel online is a very attractive option when you take into account that making last minute bookings through a traditional travel agent is usually far from a cheap option. Providers would much rather get some income, even if it is deeply discounted, rather than get no income at all.
Whether you are looking for a family holiday spent in the sun or just a quiet city break by yourself, cheap travel options are there for you to find online. Just look around and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the number of cheap travel options available to you. Thanks to all these cheap travel opportunities, you can stop worrying about the cost and look forward to enjoying your dream vacation!

]]> http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/travel/finding-cheap-travel-online.php/feed 0 What Small and Medium Business Owners Need to Know to Comply With Employment Discrimination and Anti-harassment Laws http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/law/what-small-and-medium-business-owners-need-to-know-to-comply-with-employment-discrimination-and-anti-harassment-laws.php http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/law/what-small-and-medium-business-owners-need-to-know-to-comply-with-employment-discrimination-and-anti-harassment-laws.php#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:47:45 +0000 admin http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/law/what-small-and-medium-business-owners-need-to-know-to-comply-with-employment-discrimination-and-anti-harassment-laws.php
Small business owners are often unaware that the employment discrimination laws apply to them. Since such business owners usually do not have the luxury of having large human resource departments or in-house counsel such businesses are often caught in the dark about their obligations under these laws. Any employer that has 15 or more employees must comply with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). Employers with 20 or more employees must also comply with the provisions of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (“ADEA”). What do these laws require? They require that you not discriminate against employees on the basis of the employee’s age, disability, sex, race, color, national origin or religion. In addition to these federal laws, there are also state laws that often apply to employers with very few employees. For example, in New York, the New York State Human Rights Law applies to employers with 4 or more employees and in Connecticut the state Fair Employment Practices Act applies to employers with 3 or more employees. Many times these state employment laws prohibit discrimination against people in protected classes in addition to those protected under federal law. So for instance, in New York, employers are prohibited under state law from discriminating against employees based on their race, color, creed, national origin, military status, sex, age, religion, marital status, alienage or citizenship status, sexual orientation, disability or genetic predisposition or carrier status. In Connecticut, the FEPA prohibits discrimination based upon race, color, religious creed, age, marital status, ancestry, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, breast feeding, genetic information, present or past history of mental disability, mental retardation, learning disability or physical disability (including blindness). Moreover, both state and federal employment discrimination laws prohibit harassment as well as discrimination.

What does all this mean for you as a small or medium employer? You need to ensure that you and your managers are familiar with the employment discrimination laws. This means that all employment decisions from hiring to firing need to be made based on job-related factors having nothing to do with a person’s age, race, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, etc. It also means that your managers and employees need to be trained on the employment discrimination laws and preventing sexual and other forms of unlawful harassment. In fact, Connecticut requires employers with 50 or more employees to train all managers within six months of becoming a manager. The training must be legally compliant or it will not satisfy an employer’s obligations under the law. Small businesses should retain outside consultants to provide their Anti-Harassment Training to ensure that such training is properly taught. Our company, HR Learning Center LLC provides employment law, sexual and anit-harassment training and workplace violence prevention training to small and medium employers. Please visit our website at www. hrlearningcenter. com.

This document has been provided for informational purposes only and is not intended and should not be construed to constitute legal advice. Please consult your attorney in connection with any specific questions or issues that may impose additional obligations on you and your company under any applicable local, state or federal laws.

]]> http://www.caffeinatedbuzz.com/law/what-small-and-medium-business-owners-need-to-know-to-comply-with-employment-discrimination-and-anti-harassment-laws.php/feed 0