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Employee Relations

Firing after FMLA: Potentially legal but usually unwise

04/01/2007

The FMLA doesn’t forbid you to fire employees after they return from FMLA leave, or even while they’re on it. You’re simply prohibited from firing them because they took FMLA leave …

When to say ‘No’ to disability accommodation requests

04/01/2007

Federal law (specifically, the ADA) says you must accommodate a person’s qualified disability, but that doesn’t mean you must say “Yes” to every accommodation request from every ailing worker. But it’s a tough call on when you legally can say “No.” …

Accommodating a driver who can’t drive

04/01/2007

Q. One of our drivers is not medically able to drive company trucks. Should we offer alternative employment? Should we adopt a formal policy covering disabled drivers?

Remind bosses: Don’t let ‘Soft’ traits sway hiring, firing

04/01/2007

When it comes to hiring and promotions, one of the quickest paths to the courthouse is relying heavily on a person’s subjective qualifications when objective measures point to a better candidate …

Track contracts for bias against black-Owned firms

04/01/2007

Think you don’t have to worry about race discrimination in hiring contractors? Think again. A little-known section of the federal Civil Rights Act has become a popular vehicle for claims of race discrimination in contracting …

RIF after FMLA leave? Possible, but proceed with caution

04/01/2007

If you terminate an employee soon after he or she has returned from FMLA leave, you open yourself to charges of retaliation …

Georgia economic outlook: partly cloudy, better than nation

04/01/2007

“Georgia will outperform the nation but will not dodge the slowdown” in 2007, according to George Benson, dean of the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business …

In employment contracts, use clear, unambiguous terms

04/01/2007

When Florida courts interpret employment contracts, they look first and foremost to the contract language. If it’s clear and unambiguous, they enforce the terms strictly. But if the court questions the meaning of some terms, it will interpret them in a way that benefits the employee …

Boosting productivity makes you a true strategic player

04/01/2007

Execs in your organization constantly look for ways to reduce labor costs and improve work force productivity to keep up with competition. Most likely, those bosses don’t ask your advice … and you don’t give it. To start playing a role in improving productivity, take the following steps …

5 Ohio employers among ‘Best Companies to Work For’

04/01/2007

Fortune’s latest list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For, 2007” includes five Ohio employers, led by California-based Vision Service Plan, which ranked No. 23 …