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States Retain Sovereign Immunity from Suit Under FMLA Self-Care Provisions

In a 5-4 opinion delivered Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court held that state employers are immune from suit for damages under the self-care provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). In the case, Daniel Coleman sued his employer, the Court of Appeals of the State of Maryland, for $1.1 million in damages when […]

BYOD—Should HR Be the Device Police?

Bring Your Own Device to work? Smartphones, tablets, and minicomputers abound in today’s workplaces, but they bring with them a host of real-world concerns for employers, says attorney Taylor S. Chapman. A majority of businesses now allow employees to bring their own electronic devices to use at work, notes Chapman. With the rapid evolution of […]

Electronic Surveillance: California Supreme Court Rules On When A Phone Conversation Is Confidential; How To Monitor Employee Calls Without Getting Sued

A new California Supreme Court ruling highlights a state law that prohibits the secret tape-recording of phone conversations. Although the case didn’t involve an employer-employee dispute, it has important workplace implications. We”ll explain the decision and provide guidelines on when you can legally monitor employee phone calls. Wife Allegedly Plots To Kill Sick Husband The […]

12 States Trying to Beat Feds to the Gate on Higher Minimum Wages

As the federal minimum wage debate heats up, the real challenge for employers could be at the state level, if a dozen pending measures to increase state minimum wages gain traction. The proposals share DNA with federal measures being pushed by President Obama and congressional Democrats — to raise the minimum wages and in many […]

New Marijuana Laws and Your Drug Policy

Yesterday’s Advisor explored how legal marijuana use and drug interviews and policies mix. Today, more from Tim Thoelecke on that topic, plus some handy tips. By Tim Thoelecke Marijuana is mainstream, or trying to be. Indeed, many have made the assumption that marijuana is no longer the danger that we once thought it was. Oddly, […]

8 Strategies for Employers to Foster Mental Wellness

Mental illness has become an almost daily presence in today’s headlines. With the issue becoming more and more prominent, it must be addressed in the place where many people spend most of their time—at work. Author Graeme Cowan says that employers are in a prime position to make a difference with America’s collective mental health.

Post-contractual duty to act faithfully: a protection limited to a (too) reasonable period

by Isabelle East-Richard Throughout Canada, whether under article 2088 of the Civil Code of Québec in Quebec or the common law elsewhere, employees have a duty to act faithfully and honestly toward their employer once the employment relationship has ended. That is the case even when there is no noncompetition clause in an employment contract. […]

Prepare Your 20-Something Employees for Career Success

Just My E-pinion By Guest Columnist Alexandra Levit If, as shown on TV’s “60 Minutes last week, you’re perplexed by the differences new 20-something employees display from Baby Boomers in their job behaviors, you’re not alone. But don’t despair. Because author, business conference speaker, and Huffington Post advice columnist Alexandra Levit, an expert on Generation […]

Lombardi: ‘Coaching Is Teaching’—Oswald: ‘So’s Management’

What About the Manager as a Teacher? If you take Lombardi’s words and change “coaching” to “managing,” it would go something like this: “I think managing is teaching, see? So I don’t think there’s any difference whether you teach in the office or whether you teach in the classroom. They’re both exactly the same. It’s […]