Archives

So You Think Your E-Mail Is Really Deleted?

What are the chances that you can ever erase an e-mail? No chance, says Attorney Matthew Effland.  When you send e-mail, it’s saved in many places, most of which you can’t access. For example, Effland says, your e-mail is likely stored in: Your computer’s cache and e-mail outbox, Your e-mail service provider’s computers and/or corporate […]

Do Employees Have a Right to Privacy?

It used to be easy, says Attorney Matthew Effland. If you spotted someone reading on the job, you just told them to go back to work. Now, they have headphones on—are they listening to an audio conference on HR compliance, music that relaxes them, or a digital book? Unfortunately, you are going to have people […]

Occupational Health and Safety Law May Apply to Nonworkers

A customer is hit by a car in your parking lot and is severely injured. You call 911 and a fire truck and ambulance arrive on the scene. A police officer also interviews all witnesses. This makes sense – the customer needs medical attention and the police have to investigate the incident. Surely your obligations […]

I Taught Them, But They Didn’t Learn

It’s a pretty common scenario—you’ve gone through the motions of training, but the participants didn’t pay much attention. That’s a real problem with HR subjects, because the stakes are high. Today, with a nod to our sister publication Safety Daily Advisor, we’ll offer tips for getting—and holding—your audience’s attention. What’s the attention span of your […]

FMLA Leave: Military Caregiver Leave

by Susan M. Webman and Burton F. Fishman Fortney & Scott, LLC Last week, we looked at the similarities and differences between traditional Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave and the new qualifying exigency military FMLA leave. This week we look at military caregiver leave. The rules for employer coverage (employing 50 employees within […]

Alternative Workweeks vs. Reduced-Hour Workweeks; What’s the Difference?

There are two types of four-day workweeks in California: alternative workweeks and reduced-hour workweeks. Alternative Workweeks When there is no reduction in the overall number of hours the employee works in a week (or in the employee’s workload), this is called an “alternative workweek schedule.” An example of an alternative workweek would be employees working […]

What Does It Take To Be A Leader?

A lot is written about leaders. Go to your nearest bookstore and you will find shelves full of books written by politicians, businesspeople, and athletes on how to be a leader. Is there a secret recipe that if you follow every step will make you a leader? I don’t think so. But there are some […]

EFCA: The Saga Continues, As Does the Misinformation

Through the first part of the summer, there were no major developments regarding the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). Essentially, both sides were maintaining the same positions. There have been, of course, occasional releases of “studies” and proposals by ostensibly neutral parties, but those volleys were the political equivalent of random shots exchanged by military […]

Company-Sponsored Hijinks

In the rerun episode of “Company Picnic,” Season 5’s finale, we saw the Dunder Mifflinites don branch t-shirts and head out for a day of friendly competition, team-building and — because this is Dunder Mifflin we’re dealing with — potential disaster. We already discussed the noteworthy events, such as Michael announcing the closing of the Buffalo branch to […]

New Haven Firefighters’ Case: A Perfect Storm?

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady Readers Don’t Agree About New Haven Firefighters Tests? Two weeks ago we ran my column about the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the New Haven firefighters’ case. (The justices overruled lower court decisions, holding that the city was wrong when it refused to use the results of a […]