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Employment Law

Static over dryer sheets comes out in the wash

03/31/2009

Fourteen employees of a Costco store in Hackensack took recycling a bit too far when they started reusing customer coupons for free fabric softener and dryer sheets. The employees wound up paying a high price for their “free” loot. When investigators brought the matter to the attention of store manager Sami Nasr, he fired all 14 employees.

TARP provisions force banks to rescind job offers

03/31/2009

Chalk it up to the rule of unanticipated consequences: Banks that took federal bailout money are rescinding job offers to foreign-born MBAs. No, it’s not discrimination based on foreign origin. Rather, it’s one of the strings attached to billions in TARP funds.

Settlement agreement may be binding even without signature

03/30/2009

Here’s something to consider when deciding whether to settle a case. An oral agreement may be binding even if the parties never actually signed a written version. It’s a contract as long as the parties clearly agreed to the essential terms.

Set clear rules for initial employment period

03/30/2009

Sometimes, it’s obvious early on that a new employee isn’t working out. Firing such an employee won’t cause legal trouble as long as you based the call on previously set performance standards, job-related testing or some other impartial evaluation process.

EEOC & NJ AG partner for Youth@Work campaign

03/30/2009

The EEOC and the Civil Rights Division of the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General are partnering to launch a campaign to educate New Jersey youth and employers about workplace discrimination.

EEOC: Job bias claims set new record in 2008

03/30/2009

The EEOC says job bias claims of all kinds hit record levels during federal fiscal year 2008. A total of 95,402 complaints were filed during the year ending Sept. 30, 2008. The figure constitutes a 15% increase over 2007.

Court upholds WaMu’s arbitration agreement

03/30/2009

According to her complaint, former Washington Mutual Bank assistant branch manager Michelle Williams was fired after she made an “anonymous” call to a company hotline with concerns about a co-worker’s immigration status …

Shopper’s Vineyard settles race discrimination suit

03/30/2009

The Shopper’s Vineyard wine superstore in Clifton has agreed to settle a race discrimination case after the EEOC filed suit on behalf of a black front-line manager who was terminated during an alleged downsizing.

N.J. Supreme Court: Strikers may be entitled to unemployment

03/30/2009

The New Jersey Supreme Court recently held that an employer that continues to provide all or substantially all of its services during a strike will be hard-pressed to oppose its striking employees’ applications for unemployment benefits. That’s true even if the strike results in significant losses in revenue and profits.

Settling case? Double-check the dollar amount

03/30/2009

Alert for employers settling workers’ comp lawsuits—or any other kind: When negotiations are completed, make sure the dollar amount written into the agreement is the one everyone agreed to!