• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

Employment Law

Request medical clearance for chronic condition

01/07/2011

It’s not always easy to accommodate disabled employees. You want to follow the law, but you also want to make sure that the employee isn’t a danger to herself or others if she has a serious condition like epilepsy. But it is possible to handle these tricky situations right—as the employer did in this case.

The practice judges never forgive: Retaliation

01/07/2011
Some employers are slow learners—they still don’t understand the danger of retaliation. Judges are fairly tolerant of all kinds of inappropriate employment practices, but they really, really don’t like it when an employer punishes someone who has just complained about those practices.

Do small employers have to comply with COBRA?

01/07/2011
Q. We are a small company with only 12 employees. We are under the impression that our employees do not have rights under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) since it applies to larger employers. Are we correct?

Do U.S. employment laws apply overseas?

01/07/2011
Q. Our company has employees stationed in locations outside the United States. A situation recently occurred that raised the question of whether U.S. employment laws apply to employees of American companies working outside the United States. Do they?

When a company sells off a function, does it have to give plant-closing or layoff notice?

01/07/2011
Q. My company is selling a portion of the business that employs more than 100 workers. Do we have any special obligations to provide notice to these employees?

Highland Village firefighter: Department harassed, retaliated

01/07/2011
A female firefighter in Highland Village has filed a lawsuit accusing the municipality of sexual harassment and retaliation following her firing in November 2008, after she filed internal and state complaints.

Allen debt counseling firm sued for race bias, FLSA violations

01/07/2011
Two former salespeople are suing Greenshield Financial Services, a debt consolidation firm based in Allen, claiming the company is racially biased and failed to properly pay them for overtime hours.

EEOC sues Houston firm over mandatory retirement

01/07/2011
The EEOC says a Metallic Products’ policy of requiring employees to retire at age 70 is a violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and is suing to make it stop.

Muslim manager springs lawsuit on Jack in the Box

01/07/2011
A former manager of an East Texas Jack in the Box fast food restaurant is suing the chain for discrimination on the basis of national origin and religion.

Independent contractor or employee? How to make the call

01/07/2011
On the crucial question of whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor, you had better answer correctly. Otherwise, expect scrutiny from the IRS, which monitors worker status to make sure Uncle Sam collects all taxes due. The IRS looks at three broad categories of information to decide whether someone is an employee or a contractor.