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Could taking on unpaid summer interns lead to trouble under the FLSA?

Unpaid internships are viewed universally as great opportunities for students to acquire valuable job skills and experience. In fact, experiential learning opportunities provide students with a leg-up on those competing for jobs right out of college. However, warns Evelyn Gentry, Faegre Baker Daniels LLP, there are downsides for employers that use unpaid interns, the most […]

Financially stressed employees pulling down productivity

By Tammy Binford A new employee group has begun showing up vividly on employer radar screens. It’s not defined by race, religion, gender, or any of the other familiar legally protected classes. The new group commanding the attention of employers is made up of workers suffering extreme stress brought on by extreme debt. It’s always […]

Disability etiquette: It should be common courtesy

By Marcia Akers The rules of etiquette define those behaviors that are socially acceptable under particular circumstances. It is not a crime of legal consequence if these unwritten, but widely accepted, standards of proper behavior are broken, but anyone not adhering to them may be ridiculed or ostracized. The Disability Rights Movement popularized the expression […]

EEOC issues new guidance concerning employment of veterans with disabilities

By Diane M. Pietraszewski The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently issued two pieces of revised guidance focusing on the employment rights of disabled veterans under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). One of the documents, titled “Veterans and the Americans with Disabilities Act: A Guide for Employers,” is directed at employers. The other document […]

County hammered with $820,000 verdict for not protecting disabled employee

By Michael Futterman and Jaime Touchstone California’s Fourth Appellate District recently upheld an $820,000 harassment verdict against Orange County for failing to stop or prevent nearly eight months of continuous harassment of a disabled corrections officer by county employees. Let’s take a look at the case. Disabled corrections officer harassed online and at work Ralph […]

Human rights protection expanded to include gender identity

by Alix Herber Human rights legislation protects a wide range of individuals in Canada. It prohibits harassment and discrimination in employment on obvious grounds such as age, ethnic origin, gender, and disability. It also prohibits harassment and discrimination in many provinces on less obvious grounds, such as record of offenses and sexual orientation. And that […]

Job Description Danger—Disparate Impact Lawsuit

It doesn’t seem that job descriptions would be lawsuit generators, but poorly written or out-of-date job descriptions can set you up for a nasty disparate impact lawsuit, says attorney Susan Fahey Desmond. For a more detailed explanation, we turned to BLR/HRhero’s HR Guide to Employment Law, written in part by Desmond, who is a Partner […]

Basics of Overtime Law in California

Overtime laws in California differ from the federal laws. If you have employees in California, you need to know your overtime obligations. In a CER webinar titled “Exemption Audits in California: Practical Strategies for Conducting a Successful Self-Audit of Your Job Classifications,” Allen M. Kato outlined some overtime basics for us to help employers understand […]

Wait … I Have to Pay Unauthorized Overtime?

Lott, who counsels employers on policy building and lawsuit avoidance from www.Hunterlott.com, offered his suggestions at SHRM’s Annual Conference and Exposition, held recently in Atlanta Georgia. Personal Relationships Policy Lott is fascinated by personal relationship policies. They typically read about like this, says Lott: “Personal relationships in the workplace are strongly discouraged. A company employee […]

Handling time off: PTO vs. traditional plans

It’s summer and employers are deep into the peak vacation season — a time when they may be wondering if they’re handling time off in the best way. The paid time off (PTO) system has gained popularity in recent years although a 2010 survey by WorldatWork, a group focusing on human resources issues, found that […]