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Employment Law

$700,000 to family of worker killed during Katrina cleanup

08/01/2007

Employers at a post-Hurricane Katrina job site recently agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by the family of a Texas construction worker who died while doing repair work at a warehouse in Louisiana. Bobby Patton was working on a hurricane-damaged roof when he fell through an unmarked skylight to the concrete floor …

Evaluating employee performance without creating legal liability

08/01/2007

Performance evaluations are important tools to help employers gauge whether employees are performing at expected levels. They can help organizations spot talent and leadership potential, while identifying areas where employees need extra training and support. Evaluations also can protect employers from frivolous lawsuits filed by employees who claim they’ve been demoted, fired or otherwise unfairly treated when the real reason was poor performance …

Will ‘Bullying Victim’ Become The Next Protected Category?

07/30/2007

Several states are debating legislation that would make “workplace bullying” an illegal practice, like discrimination or harassment. Passage of such bills would increase your liability risks and force you to referee personality disputes. Here’s the status of the legislation, and how your organization should respond …

Restaurant caught in birthday suit, now it must pay

07/30/2007

Religious discrimination can take many forms, including, apparently the forced singing of "Happy Birthday" to that embarrassed-looking guy sitting with his buddies in the booth by the window.

Federal minimum wage goes up—and so should your new posters

07/24/2007

The new federal minimum wage of $5.85 per hour means you need to put up new posters – even if your state’s minimum wage is higher. We’re making it easy to comply. You can download and print official U.S. Labor Department posters – for FREE – directly from the HR Specialist web site.

Can we terminate manager who violates nonfraternization policy?

07/20/2007

Q Our company policy prohibits managers from dating subordinates. I have just learned that a manager has violated this rule. May we terminate her employment?

Pay for holiday when it’s normally an off day?

07/20/2007

Q One of our employees is assigned to work 32 hours per week. His regular off-day is Monday. If a holiday falls on a Monday (such as Labor Day), is the employee entitled to pay for the day?

Minimizing the legal risks of workplace romance

07/20/2007
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SoCal grocery workers vote to authorize strike

07/20/2007

A California jury has awarded more than $300,000 to a former Sonoma State University softball coach who claimed that she was wrongfully fired …

He’s not your employee! Don’t meddle with contracted service workers

07/20/2007
Login Email Address Password I forgot my password To continue reading this page, become an HR Specialist Premium Plus member today! Your subscription includes: Ask the Attorney: Answers to your HR legal questions Compliance Guidance: Access to 7,000 HR news articles, updated daily, sorted by state State-by-State: Summaries of HR laws in all 50 states […]