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Fairness—Not Legal Technicalities—Counts with Employees … and Juries
Lawyers like to talk about picky legal points, says attorney Jeffrey Wortman, but the real bottom line for most legal cases is fairness. Juries—and sometimes judges—are more likely to make a decision based on fair treatment than on legal treatment. It isn’t only in court that you reap the benefits of fairness, Wortman notes. It’s […]
Alabama guns-at-work law takes effect August 1
by Albert L. Vreeland Beginning August 1, employees with a valid Alabama concealed weapon permit may keep a firearm in their vehicles at work. Also, during hunting season, employees with a valid Alabama hunting license may store an unloaded rifle or shotgun in their vehicles at work. The change is a result of a law […]
Space Shuttle and Employment Perks: Symbols of the Past Say Final Farewell
When we think of the term “bygone era,” one thing that commonly comes to mind is the space program. And perhaps another is employment perks. Not that either is gone, by any means. But times seem to be changing for both during an era of economic contraction, so perhaps it is no coincidence that the […]
Banning electronic cigarettes in the workplace
by Reggie Gay Electronic cigarette companies like to say that users of their products can “Smoke anywhere!” According to the recent Businessweek article “E-Cigarettes Want Your Attention Now (Before the FDA Steps In),” electronic cigarettes are “expected to top $1 billion in annual sales in the next few years.” As the industry grows exponentially, employers […]
Run Worker Run, but Not When You’re on WC
By: Elaine Quayle Sure, you want your employees to stay in shape. Running long distance—how great! But you don’t want them running in over 80 long-distance races when they are on workers’ comp. A Florida postal worker was out on WC for a back injury. According to Yahoo! News, she was therefore relieved of carrying […]
Get Your Writing Global
Is your command of English good enough for readers outside the United States? This may seem an odd question, but consider that, after Mandarin Chinese and Spanish, English is the native language of a vast amount of people—many of whom are not from the United States. Add in all nonnative English speakers and English is […]
SB 1070 conflicts with federal law on alien employment
By Dinita L. James Arizona’s attempt to make criminals out of those who work or seek employment while unlawfully in the United States suffered a fatal blow in the U.S. Supreme Court today. The 5-3 decision, written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, held that Congress already has “decided it would be inappropriate to impose criminal penalties […]
Retaliation in the Workplace: Supreme Court Ruling Is Good News for Employers
Retaliation in the workplace is unlawful after an employee has engaged in a protected action. For example, an employer cannot terminate an employee as a retaliatory measure for the employee filing a workers’ compensation claim, taking protected FMLA leave, or filing a complaint over safety issues with OSHA. But what happens when there are a […]
4 Leadership Traits to Avoid
The other day a colleague passed along an article on leadership written by Michael Hyatt. The piece was titled, “The Five Characteristics of Weak Leaders” and focused on the leadership of General George B. McClellan, the first general-in-chief of the Union Army. It detailed the weaknesses McClellan exhibited as a leader and how they ultimately […]