Tag: Employment law

Living the dream

Litigation Value: None. I think The Office gods have been reading my blog entries and decided they’d give me an hour-long episode with very few legal issues. In last night’s episode, three main characters made significant career moves. Dwight received the manager promotion, Andy quit his job to pursue fame, and Jim decided to stay […]

New FMLA regs require employers to reexamine policies and practices

by Amanda Shelby The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) recently issued Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) regulations became effective on March 8. Although the new regulations don’t radically change the landscape of the FMLA, they do contain some significant modifications. What do you need to know to ensure that your policies and practices are […]

Supreme Court to Decide When Title VII’s Anti-retaliation Protections Apply

The U.S. Supreme Court is now weighing arguments in a case with important ramifications for the many employers that have been accused of retaliation — or who fear being accused of retaliation — when they discipline or fire an employee. For workers, the case raises questions about the strength and scope of Title VII’s anti-retaliation […]

Database hazards: What’s safe when conducting background checks?

No one wants to get burned by hiring a bad apple, so it’s common for employers to conduct background checks to lessen the chance of bringing a dishonest employee into the workplace. But as hazardous as it is to have shady employees, it also can be dangerous to step out of line when checking people […]

When time is the very essence of your job, best not be late …

By Michel Bellemare Every job has its own peculiarities. What might be a minor shortcoming in one type of employment could be catastrophic in another. This is especially true when the breach touches on the very heart of the duties assigned to an employee. This, at least, is what an employee learned in a recent […]

Speaking my truth about team-building

Litigation Value: Aside from a potential workers’ compensation claim for Toby, from having a paper airplane thrown directly into his eye, Dunder Mifflin is getting off light this week. This week, we all got to relax a bit, as the Dunder Mifflin employees let their hair down and their competitive beasts out and took part […]

‘Play or pay’ and whistleblower protections under healthcare reform

by Timothy P. Brechtel and Ricardo X. Carlo As if you didn’t have enough to worry about as healthcare reform heads toward full implementation in 2014, the new whistleblower protection provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) may present a trap for unsuspecting employers looking to cut costs by tweaking their workforces. Under ACA Section […]

time

Comp time―not an option for private employers

by Reggie Gay Say you have a nonexempt salaried employee who will be working an extra six hours each week for additional training for her position. The extra hours will result in overtime hours each week. However, the employee is requesting comp time in lieu of overtime pay. Is it OK to let her track […]

Recalling employees from work-from-home arrangements

By Eowynne Noble The CEOs at top tech companies have received attention over their policies allowing employees to work from home. While some companies insist that working from home motivates people to work responsibly, quickly, and with high quality, others prefer their employees to work in the office. The reality is that each company is […]

The Beginning of the End Revisited

Litigation Value: Possible workers’ comp claim for Dwight for injuries sustained in trying to cross a “flaccid cord”; groundwork established for a breach of contract suit by Nellie if Andy follows through on his intent to fire her Tonight’s “previously aired” episode takes us back to the first episode of this, the last season of […]