Tag: Employment law

OFCCP Would Ban Pay Secrecy Policies by Federal Contractors in Proposed Rule

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance announced a proposed rule Sept. 15 to prohibit pay secrecy policies at government contractor firms. The proposal is the result of an executive order signed by President Obama in April requiring federal contractors to abide by pay transparency rules. “Under the terms of the proposal, federal contractors and subcontractors […]

Turning to a union―what’s going on?

by Richard Reinhardt Under the National Labor Relations Act, all employees―whether they work for government employers, unionized companies, or private companies without a union―have a right to attempt to unionize and speak with other employees about unionization or the terms and conditions of their employment. As traditional union strongholds such as automobile and manufacturing decline, […]

A blooper of historic proportions

Downton Abbey recently made headlines with what some are calling “the water bottle seen around the world.” In an uncropped version of a publicity photo, Lord Grantham and Lady Edith are seen standing in front of a stately mantel upon which a bottled water is perched looking hilariously out of place. Turning an amusing blooper into […]

What recourse does an employer have when an ex-employee steals?

Employee theft is an unpleasant reality in the workplace, but when the employee is still on the job, at least the employer can easily confront the worker. But what’s an employer to do if the theft is discovered after the employee leaves the job and moves out of state? Does the errant worker get off […]

EEOC Lawsuit Says Employer Violated GINA by Requesting Too Much Medical Info

An employer violated the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act when it asked applicants and employees for information about their medical history, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleged in a lawsuit filed Sept. 17. BNV Home Care Agency, Inc., a New York City home care services agency, required applicants to complete an “Employee Health Assessment” after […]

Last-minute Tips for Amending HIPAA Business Associate Contracts

As the transition period for amending business associate agreements draws to a close, HIPAA experts have highlighted some issues for plan sponsors to keep in mind. Under last year’s HIPAA/HITECH omnibus rules, all contracts with business associates must be compliant with the rules by Sept. 22. Obviously, group health plans and other HIPAA-covered entities that […]

Should employees’ salaries be public knowledge?

by Connor Beatty Picture this: A manager calls his subordinates into a conference room and asks them to write down their salary and pin it to a board for everyone to see. The thought of that may make some of you cringe worse than many of the moments on reality TV. In fact, this idea […]

Some extra points about fantasy football and your workplace

Although the actual games have been overshadowed lately by the off-the-field misbehavior of some of the players, the NFL season opened last week. And if you listened closely enough, you could almost hear HR managers and small business owners across the country yelling at their employees, “Get off your fantasy football website and get back […]