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Employment Law

BP to pay $92,000 for 2005 accident that killed 15

09/01/2007

OSHA announced that it has fined BP Products of North America $92,000 for violations at its refinery in Texas City. The citations come as the result of a March 2005 accident that killed 15 people and injured 170 others …

The long and short of it: Do different grooming policies equal discrimination?

09/01/2007

Q. We have a company policy requiring male employees to keep their hair cut short. One worker says we can’t force him to cut his hair because we don’t tell female workers to do the same. Is this true? …

Does grooming policy interfere with religious belief?

09/01/2007

Q. Can we require a job applicant to cut his hair as a condition of employment even if he alleges that his religion forbids him from cutting his hair? …

Who’s exempt, who’s not? Free FLSA checklist helps you decide

08/28/2007

It’s a perennial HR challenge: Determining whether an employee is exempt from the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. We make the job easier with HR Specialist’s free checklist, as well as a free white paper detailing how to comply with the law.

How to handle ‘No-Match’ letters: New rules go into effect on Sept. 14

08/19/2007

The Department of Homeland Security just published final regulations that provide guidance to employers on how to respond to "no-match" letters, which notify employers of discrepancies with employees’ Social Security numbers. If you follow those steps correctly, you’ll earn immunity from penalties if illegal workers are found at your business. How can you comply? Read on.

Dealing with foul-smelling workers: 6 tips for ‘The talk’

08/07/2007

Hosting a termination meeting may be easier than having to tell an employee that he or she has offensive body odor. Here are six tips for handling the issue in your workplace:

Employee can’t work well with others? Document that claim!

08/07/2007

Do you have an employee who doesn’t seem to be getting along with anyone? Has he complained about discrimination or some other supposed wrongdoing? If so, document the problems. If you don’t, you create legal risks …

Will Congress give workers more time to file discrimination claims?

08/06/2007

The House voted last week to reverse a three-month-old U.S. Supreme Court decision that set a strict time limits for filing pay-discrimination claims. Do you have to worry about this bill winning final approval? Here’s the answer …

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 …

Handful of absences not enough to prove actual disability

08/01/2007

Disabled employees are entitled to protection from discrimination, but they must prove that they are actually disabled under the ADA or the federal Rehabilitation Act. And that’s no easy task …