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Employment Law

Are government workers protected against bias based on marital status? 7th Circuit passes

12/09/2010

Public employees have rights that private-sector employees don’t, including exercising constitutional rights like free speech and due process. That’s because constitutional rights apply to government actions. But do public employees enjoy the right to be free from retaliation based on marital association? Faced with that question, the 7th Circuit recently punted.

Beware trend: Workers acting as own lawyers

12/09/2010
If former employees decide to sue, they’ll find themselves competing for lawyers to represent them. Increasingly, those former employees simply file their own lawsuits. And judges give them every possible break since they aren’t expected to know the tricks of the legal trade.

Take careful notes during all exit interviews

12/09/2010

Employees often reveal their true feelings during an exit interview, and they frequently wind up burning bridges in the process. Smart employers take notes during exit interviews, especially if they hear something that makes them wonder whether the employee should ever have been hired in the first place, let alone rehired for any future openings.

How should we tally overtime pay when employees earn different amounts at different times?

12/09/2010
Q. We have employees who work on-call and often accrue overtime hours. They receive a different amount of pay for on-call work than regularly scheduled work time. How do we calculate their regular rate of pay for overtime purposes?

Can arbitration agreements include clause waiving employees’ statutory claims?

12/09/2010
Q. I am wondering if we can contract with employees to resolve employment-related disputes, including statutory claims, with binding arbitration. Are there any problems with this?

What should we know about running credit checks on job applicants?

12/09/2010
Q. Our company is hiring a new finance director and we’re planning to do credit checks on serious job candidates. Are there any legal issues that we should be aware of?

When customers practice discrimination, employer may pay

12/09/2010

Most employers are well aware that it is unlawful for them to discriminate on the basis of race, gender and other protected classes or characteristics. But what about when a customer demands service on a discriminatory basis? What if a client says she wants to be served only by someone of a certain race? A recent case shows how an employer can run afoul of the law in such a circumstance.

Unions suffer another setback in a string of losses at Delta

12/09/2010
Union-organizing efforts have consistently failed since Delta Air Lines merged with Eagan-based Northwest Airlines. That trend continued last fall when 53% of baggage handlers voted to reject representation by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

When riffed employee sues for discrimination, back up your actions with documentation

12/09/2010

Sometimes, courts are suspicious of an employer’s claim that it conducted a reduction in force if it can’t support the claim with facts and figures. Supply the data and make the court comfortable with your company’s decision.

When setting pay and bonus plans, take both federal and Minnesota laws into account

12/09/2010

A recent state Supreme Court decision highlights one of the unique problems facing employers: While a pay practice may be valid under state law, it may be illegal under federal law. To ensure they’re in full compliance, employers must be prepared to change their pay practices to conform with the most restrictive law.