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Compensation & Benefits

Employees’ right to time off for court summons has some limits

08/01/2007

Q We have received separate requests for time off for court appearances from three employees. What are our obligations under the law?

Don’t fire for FMLA absence, even with attendance problems

08/01/2007

Because the FMLA is an entitlement law, employers can’t interfere with emplolyees taking leave. But what about a chronically absent employee whom you’ve given one last chance? Do you have to sort out whether that final absence is covered by the FMLA—even if you could have fired him or her for absenteeism before? The answer is unequivocally “yes” …

Minor changes to working conditions don’t violate the FMLA

08/01/2007

While employees are off work on FMLA leave, things may change at the office. Work space may be realigned and reassigned, for example. But employers are obligated to return FMLA leave-takers to the same or an equivalent position after the leave expires. Does that mean the employee must get the same desk, office or location? Not necessarily …

Discipline for absences even if employee has disability

08/01/2007

Employees who take intermittent leave cause the greatest disruption in the workplace, according to comments received by the U.S. Labor Department on proposed revisions to the FMLA. That includes employees with disabilities who seem to need an inordinate—and unpredictable—number of absences. If you suspect abuse, don’t jump the gun …

Not all absences are equal; punishment needn’t be either

08/01/2007

You know you can’t go easy on one person for attendance problems and come down hard on another for the same offense—especially if he or she belongs to a protected class. But, as the following case shows, courts will conclude a discipline process wasn’t discriminatory if you can show that tardiness or absenteeism affected important work goals, such as productivity …

Can you make payroll deductions for missing company property?

08/01/2007

Texas employers frequently face problems associated with retrieving company property from disgruntled former employees. Let’s use a hypothetical scenario to answer questions on whether or when you can make payroll deductions for the missing property …

IBM begins big investment in financial-Planning perks

08/01/2007

When Armonk, NY-based IBM announced it would change its pension programs in 2008, the company promised employees a financial-planning and education-benefit program to ease the transition …

Ohio public pension funds must cut terrorist ties

08/01/2007

Ohio’s public pension funds must dump more than $500 million in investments with companies that do business with Iran and Sudan, lawmakers decided in June …

High court says Labor Dept. right to limit overtime for some

08/01/2007

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled unanimously in a closely watched overtime case that employees classified as home health care workers aren’t entitled to some Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) protections …

Employees must file discrimination cases within 180 days

08/01/2007

n a 5-4 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court has handed employers a major victory. No longer will you have to worry that an employment decision you made years—even decades—earlier will come back to haunt you …