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Employment Law

Automatic pay deduction for lunch: Is it legal?

02/22/2012
You don’t have to pay hourly employees for meal breaks of 30 minutes or more, as long as they are completely relieved of their duties during the break. Many employers automatically de­­duct the meal period from time worked. But make sure there’s an easy way for employees who occasionally work through their meal breaks to report the additional paid time.

Older worker’s pay maxed out? That’s not bias

02/21/2012
If your company has established top pay levels for each job classification, you probably end up giving some long-tenured (and, therefore older) em­­ployees smaller raises than less-experienced employees. But those older workers won’t be able to successfully claim age discrimination, as long as you can explain that the pay difference is due to your clearly documented wage schedules.

OSHA’s Whistle-Blower Program

02/18/2012

HR Law 101:  OSHA’s special whistle-blower program is designed to protect workers who report employer wrongdoing or dangerous conditions. Under the program, employers may not retaliate or discriminate against workers who file complaints with OSHA …

Are there incentives for hiring vets?

02/15/2012
Q. We are aware of the increasing number of veterans who are returning to the workforce and applying for positions. We are interested in hiring veterans and would like to know if there are any incentives for hiring them.

How did the new law change USERRA?

02/15/2012
Q. How does the recent amendment to the Uniformed Services Employment and Re­em­ploy­­ment Rights Act (USERRA) affect employers?

State Supreme Court affirms business-interest test for noncompetes

02/15/2012
On Dec. 1, 2011, a unanimous Illinois Supreme Court issued its decision in Reliable Fire Equipment Co. v. Arredondo et al., reaffirming that an enforceable noncompete agreement must be supported by a legitimate business interest.

Jackson Park Hospital settles job segregation claim

02/15/2012
A group of 11 black women who worked for South Side Chicago’s Jack­­son Park Hospital will split $80,000, now that the EEOC has brokered an agreement to settle charges that the hospital shunted the women into specific jobs because of their race.

Stolen TV, soiled chair mean 2 trips to court for coroner

02/15/2012
It’s no wonder Kane County Coroner Chuck West decided not to run for re-election this year. In addition to facing criminal charges that he stole a dead man’s television, West is being sued for retaliation by his second-in-command.

Sears pays $100,000 to end discrimination lawsuit

02/15/2012
Sears, Roebuck & Co. has settled an age, race and gender discrimination complaint filed by a former employee in Oklahoma City.

Even after Walmart, some class-actions are legit

02/15/2012
Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed a class-action sex discrimination claim brought by thousands of female Walmart employees. Now the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has clarified how far the decision goes in class-action wage-and-hour cases.