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Employment Law

Don’t hamstring defense by detailing termination

12/01/2001

Q. We recently terminated an employee. He claims that he is legally entitled to a letter outlining the reasons for his discharge. Is he correct? —E.T., Maryland

Off-Duty Parties Sometimes Carry Liability

12/01/2001

Q. A recent sexual harassment complaint reported the conduct of management employees at a private party. The party was outside the normal workday and wasn’t sponsored by the company. What is the company’s liability? —W.S., Wisconsin

Worker’s outburst wins NLRA protection

11/01/2001
Disciplining an employee who protests working conditions at your company will put you at risk of being charged with an unfair labor practice, even if you’re a nonunion employer. Case in …

Exempt or not? ‘Primary duty’ isn’t a time test

11/01/2001
Michael and Constance Baldwin agreed to manage an RV park for a joint salary of $2,400 a month, plus on-site housing. They were on call 24 hours a day. After …

Keep your workplace safe for pregnant employees

11/01/2001
Verona Meyer was about 35 weeks pregnant when she slipped while working at a Burger King and struck her lower abdomen on the corner of a table. The baby was born …

Smart pre-employment screening can cut cost of future injuries

11/01/2001
Woodbridge Corp., a manufacturer of foam padding, used a wrist test to help identify job applicants who might be susceptible to carpal tunnel syndrome. If applicants’ test results were abnormal, Woodbridge …

Don’t leave victim in doubt about response to harassment

11/01/2001
It started innocently enough. After Romelia Frazier’s car was stolen, she rode to work for several months with another Delco employee, Bester Spears. He had just divorced a woman who had …

To keep arbitration clause legal, ensure workers’ cost is reasonable

11/01/2001
When SFX bought a New York radio station, it required all workers to sign a binding arbitration clause. Station employee Tracy Christopher later accused the company of gender and pregnancy …

Retaliation protection extends to employee’s family

11/01/2001
Michael Flannery was a pro-union employee at a baking plant where his wife was a supervisor. Soon after Flannery joined in an organizing drive, managers told him that his actions were …

Use peer job reviews to fight rising bias claims

11/01/2001
Adding a peer review element to your performance reviews can help prevent claims that negative evaluations stem from discrimination. More companies are doing it. Twenty-eight percent of companies now have …