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Death puts Marietta company on OSHA watch list

11/07/2011

A horrific accident that killed a worker in March 2011 has led to $186,300 in fines for Refuse Recycling, based in Marietta. Inspectors from OSHA were called to the plant after an employee was found dead inside a rotating drum that screens recyclables from other refuse.

Employer’s decision to lock doors on night shift leads to $62,000 fine

11/04/2011
OSHA standards require that employees be able to open an exit route door from inside at all times, without keys, tools or special knowledge. Last month OSHA slapped a supermarket with more than $62,000 in fines for locking all five exit doors during the night shift.

Lawsuit insurance: Does your policy cover EEOC claims?

11/02/2011
If your organization carries employment practices liability insurance (EPLI), make sure your coverage includes claims made by the EEOC and all other such federal, state and local agencies. As Cracker Barrel learned, an EPLI umbrella policy may actually let in some rain … $2.7 million worth.

Frivolous lawsuit? You’ll need patience

11/01/2011

This may be tough to accept, but sometimes when an employee sues, you just have to be patient. It’s especially difficult if you know that the employee isn’t telling the truth. The judge hearing the case will probably see through bogus claims.

No exit in Brooklyn: Locked doors mean OSHA fine

11/01/2011
Fine Fare Supermarkets faces $62,000 in fines after OSHA inspectors found that all five emergency exits at a store in Brooklyn were kept locked during the night shift. OSHA standards require employees to be able to open an exit route door from inside at all times, without keys, tools or special knowledge.

The HR I.Q. Test: November ’11

11/01/2011
Pet peeves, paper checks and workplace perils: Test your knowledge of recent trends in employment law, compensation and benefits and other HR issues with our monthly mini-quiz.

OSHA issues new rules on investigating workplace violence

10/31/2011
OSHA has issued en­­force­­ment instructions regarding incidents of workplace violence. Officials will use the directive to decide whether allegations of workplace violence warrant an investigation. It also details methods employers can use to minimize the possibility of workplace violence.

Judge says injured whistle-blower got railroaded

10/31/2011
An administrative law judge has ruled that Norfolk Southern Rail­way must pay a former employee $122,199 in compensatory and punitive damages after it violated the worker’s rights under whistle-blower provisions of the Federal Railway Safety Act.

You can discipline for email abuse–just don’t thwart ‘concerted’ or ‘protected’ activity

10/31/2011
As soon as employers started equipping employees with email accounts and a list of company email addresses, things started getting complicated. You can punish employees for many email attack campaigns—as long as you first make sure the content doesn’t qualify as concerted or protected activity.

More HR jobs demand social media skills

10/31/2011
This summer, more than 1,000 new online job ads for HR openings included requirements that the candidate holds social media skills. That represents a 160% increase in such requests over the same period in 2010, according to a WANTED Analytics report.