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by G. Thomas Harper Governor Rick Scott has signed into law controversial House Bill (HB) 1205, which will change the way state employers deal with drug testing their employees. What follows is a quick update on how HB 1205 will affect employers when it goes into effect at the beginning of July. In addition to […]
The scariest thing this week may not be what can happen on the streets, but what can happen around your personnel files. With Halloween this week, ghouls and goblins are all around us. But it doesn’t take a special day for mischief-makers to show up in the workplace. And the trouble they can cause goes […]
Good-natured banter is part of the normal work environment. But when the teasing takes on racial or sexual overtones, you can be sued for millions of dollars-even if everyone laughingly participates in the give-and-take. That’s what happened to a Los Angeles employer who failed to intervene when kidding crossed the line and became illegal workplace […]
by Jeff DeGraffenreid Recently, I met a plaintiff’s lawyer during a particularly expansive mediation. He was on the opposing side, and after we were through, I had the chance to sit down with him over a beer and pick his brain. I’d gone in with the notion that he was “in it for the money.” […]
From Dan: As a way to honor the individuals who have taught me critical life lessons about people and business, I’ve invited several to write guest columns to run in this space over the next few weeks. Today’s voice of experience is provided by Robert L. Brady, who founded Business and Legal Resources (BLR) in […]
For the time being, employers in states that don’t recognize same-sex marriage don’t have to comply with a new rule changing the definition of spouse under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The rule was to take effect on March 27, but a federal district judge in Texas issued a temporary injunction on March […]
by Matthew H. Parker A series of amendments to Rhode Island law and the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 26 decision in United States v. Windsor have changed how most Rhode Island employers must treat same-sex married couples. Under the amendments, which go into effect on August 1, anyone who is eligible to marry in Rhode […]
Awards season is upon us and soon all of Hollywood will gather to celebrate its most talented actors and actresses, as determined by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Who will win the Oscar? While this question is being volleyed about and fiercely debated among Internet pundits and armchair critics, the nominees themselves […]
By Chris Semerjian The Quebec Superior Court recently upheld an arbitration award against Wal-Mart regarding the closure of its store in the town of Jonquière in 2005. That closure is now also affecting Wal-Mart elsewhere in Canada. The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal recently indicated that Wal-Mart’s actions in Quebec possibly could be perceived as an […]
Let’s hear it for job descriptions! OK, we agree, no one’s cheering about doing them, but we did explain in yesterday’s Advisor how important they are. Fortunately, there’s a handy program that makes quick work of job description tasks. We’re talking about BLR’s unique Job Descriptions Encyclopedia. Around here, we call it the “JDE.” Here’s […]