Work / Life Issues

Guard against SARS-related health, legal risks

07/01/2003

Employment law experts say the epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) could raise employers’ obligations to protect workers’ health and safety, particularly among companies that have employees overseas …

Injuries from suicide attempt may be covered by workers’ comp

11/01/2002

A worker injured his back on the job and complained that he was suffering chronic pain as a result. He claimed the pain caused major depression and anxiety that drove him …

Expect new rules on who’s exempt; possible changes to comp-time law

08/01/2002

The U.S. Labor Department says it will rewrite the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) white-collar exemption rules for administrative, executive, professional and outside salespeople. Reason: Since those rules were drafted, some …

Urge Staff to Visit Doctor During Off-Duty Hours

07/01/2001

Q. We don’t usually require employees to provide documentation when they take time off for doctors’ appointments, but one worker has a pattern of scheduling these “appointments” on the Friday before holiday weekends. Can we request verification from the doctor’s office on a case-by-case basis? —J.B., Washington

Boost productivity, retention by helping staff with legal woes

12/01/2000

Employees spend an average of 53 hours on the job each year resolving their families’ legal issues, according to a new survey by Harris Interactive. The cost in lost productivity …

Radical change to worker’s schedule lets him win unemployment benefits

09/01/2000

Philip Mauro was hired for a carpenter/foreman job with the understanding that his work had to coincide with his daughter’s day care hours, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and that …

Breast-feeding: Develop wise policy for staff, customers

07/01/2000

With half of new mothers returning to work within three months of giving birth, breast-feeding has become a hot workplace issue. The American Academy of Pediatrics …

Don’t Ban Breast-Feeding if You Allow Baby at Work

04/01/2000

Q. Can we legally prohibit female workers from breast-feeding at work? —R.B., California

Protect your business from ‘identity theft’

01/01/2000

Identity theft is one of the nation’s fastest-growing crimes, and it can hit businesses as well as individuals.
A thief uses your credit card, Social Security number or business identification …