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Employment Law

Fired ‘team’ member gets $20,000 PDA settlement

09/06/2016
A home health care company called Your Health Team, based in Kaufman, Texas, didn’t show much in the way of teamwork when it fired a home health aide after learning she was pregnant.

Statements to licensing board aren’t retaliation

09/06/2016
Public employees who speak out about matters of public importance are protected from retaliation. But retaliation doesn’t include an employer’s complaint about the employee to a licensing board.

Legitimate discipline isn’t retaliation

09/06/2016
Some managers fear disciplining a worker who has complained about discrimination or other allegedly illegal conduct. Quite reasonably, they worry that punishing an employee after he or she complains may precipitate a retaliation claim.

Relax! Your arbitration agreement is likely valid

09/04/2016
As long as you get expert legal help creating a valid arbitration agreement, Texas courts will probably enforce it.

Columbia grad students win right to unionize

09/02/2016
The National Labor Relations Board in late August ruled that Columbia University graduate students who serve as teaching assistants may form a union.

Overtime mistakes your managers must avoid

08/30/2016
Starting Dec. 1, new DOL rules take effect that nearly double the salary threshold at which most salaried workers become exempt from having to be paid overtime.

Accommodating religion: What managers need to know

08/30/2016
An applicant tells you she can’t work nights due to her religion. Or an employee wears a headscarf to the office. How would you respond?

Fed contractors: Review arbitration agreements

08/30/2016
Does your organization have more than $1 million in federal contracts? If so, you may have to change any arbitration agreements you have in place covering certain claims.

How to proactively protect your trade secrets

08/29/2016
Don’t take employee discretion for granted! You need a confidentiality policy to protect trade secrets and other proprietary information from leaving your organization.

Live in a ban-the-box state? Beware ‘name’ hiring bias

08/29/2016
So far, 24 states and more than 100 municipalities have passed laws prohibiting employers from asking applicants about their criminal records early in the hiring process.