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Employment Law

#1 reason you can’t fire worker for going #2 on office floor

03/18/2021
You’d think it would be easy to fire a worker who defecates on the workplace floor and tells his manager he left a “present” for him. The problem: The employee is a member of a labor union.

Assure gender equity by assessing your operations

03/18/2021
The Biden administration is signaling it is serious about addressing pay disparities between women and men in the workplace. A White House executive order issued March 8 established a Gender Policy Council to help combat systemic, gender-based bias and harassment.

Double wages due for ignoring FLSA pay rules

03/18/2021
When the Department of Labor catches employers underpaying employees in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the penalty is to pay the amount owed—and then double it. If the underpaid employee hired an attorney to plead her case, then the employer may end up paying those legal fees, too.

OSHA plans targeted covid-19 inspections

03/18/2021
Anew OSHA national emphasis program seeks to reduce the threat of coronavirus exposure at work by targeting enforcement inspections at employers that put the largest number of workers at serious risk of becoming infected.

Document why hiring committee was overruled

03/18/2021
Having a group of employees interview job applicants is a great way to identify the best candidates. But a would-be supervisor may disagree with a hiring committee’s candidate recommendation. If that happens, be sure to document exactly why he or she rejected the committee’s choice.

DOL rescinds 2 Trump-era wage-and-hour rules

03/16/2021
The Department of Labor moved March 11 to rescind two rules finalized by the Trump administration that the DOL now says significantly weaken protections afforded to workers by the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Snapshot: EEOC charges continue to decline

03/16/2021
The number of EEOC charges fell again in Fiscal Year 2020, continuing a decade-long trend.

New coronavirus relief law affects HR’s work

03/16/2021
The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 does more than provide for $1,400 stimulus checks and expanded unemployment benefits. It reaches into the HR function, extending employer subsidies for paid time off, offering government help to pay COBRA premiums and increasing the amounts employees may shelter from taxes in dependent care accounts.

Fix common pay errors before DOL investigates

03/11/2021
Managing restaurant employees isn’t easy. And unless HR provides frequent and accurate guidance, front-line managers may be tempted to devise their own questionable methods for simplifying scheduling and paying staff. Don’t let that happen.

House passes PRO Act, labor’s favorite legislation

03/11/2021
The House of Representatives on March 9 passed the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, a bill that would override state right-to-work laws and make it easier for unions to organize.