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terminated

Was Heavy Workload a Good Excuse for Attorney’s Wrongful Discharge Claim?

Missouri law presumes that all employees are employed at will. That means employees or their employer may terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause. Despite that presumption, Missouri law has three judicially created exceptions to employment at will, and employees may not be terminated for any of those reasons (in addition […]

Are Employees on Leave Talking and Texting? (FLSA)

[Go here for risks 1 to 5.] 6. Fair Labor Standards Act Risks For exempt employees, employers must pay the full salary for any workweek, regardless of the number of days or hours worked. Therefore, if an exempt employee is on an unpaid leave of absence and uses an electronic device to check or respond […]

Workplace Investigations: Finding the Truth

by Toby Tiner, Jr. Editors’ note: This week we feature a guest article. The editors of Maine Employment Law Letter think you will benefit from the practical insights of their colleagues. They have worked alongside Toby on many tricky employee-relations cases, and his ability to find the truth while treating employees respectfully has impressed them. […]

Publish Your Political Activity Policy Now! (Here Are Two Samples)

Here’s sample Political Activity Policy number one: Employees are not to participate in election activities while working and are not to use company facilities to engage in election activities. When not on company premises, representing the company or using company resources, an employee’s personal conduct is his or her own to regulate. Employees are encouraged […]

contract

Trump Campaign Case Offers Lesson on Value of Carefully Written Employment Contracts

A recent New York trial court decision demonstrates the importance of carefully drafting employment contracts. In the high-profile case, Judge Arlene P. Bluth sided with the employee in rejecting the employer’s attempt to force an employment claim into arbitration. On the surface, the case is notable because the defending party was the Trump for President […]

survey

Forget Free Beer + Unlimited Vacation: Defining the Employee Experience in the Age of the ‘Perk War’

Employee perks have never been more at the center of workplace conversation. Ever since the rise of trendy tech companies in the 2000s and the famous reveal of the Googleplex in 2012—equipped with slides, basketball courts, putting greens, and a replica tram—the perk war has gone full steam ahead.

health

Should You Offer Telemedicine as a Benefit?

Employers looking to differentiate their benefit offerings are often searching for the latest trends in benefits for employees. One such trend is to offer telemedicine as a component of an overall healthcare benefit package.

Check Out the FMLA Training Scenarios Video Series!

Every HR professional knows that the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) can be very, very tricky. With so many diverse situations that could apply and compliance hurdles around every turn (not to mention actually tracking the employee’s FMLA leave accurately), it can be a real personnel management headache. However, a new video training series […]