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Congress passes new law expanding family medical military leave

12/03/2009

Just when you thought you had implemented all the necessary changes to your family- and military-leave policies, the law has again changed. On Oct. 28, President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the 2010 fiscal year, which includes provisions that expand the military leave entitlements of the FMLA.

Company party gone out of bounds? Be sure to note voluntary participation

12/02/2009

The upcoming holidays will surely bring company celebrations—and a predictable increase in sexual harassment lawsuits. That’s true even for “unofficial” events if employees believe they are expected to attend. Tell managers that they need to inform employees which events are company sanctioned and which are not. Encourage them to avoid pressuring employees to attend out-of-office events that carry the potential for legal trouble.

Words matter—and can come back to haunt employers sued for age discrimination

12/01/2009

In difficult economic times like these, employers try everything they can to wring greater productivity and profits from employees and work processes. It’s not easy. There’s often resistance from employees who have grown accustomed to doing things the same way they always have. And some of the most intransigent of those employees may be your older workers—and that means potential for legal trouble.

The do’s and don’ts of giving and receiving holiday gifts

12/01/2009

Q. Are there any legal issues regarding employee gift-giving during the holidays? What about giving or getting gifts from vendors?

Holiday parties: 12 tips for making sure liability doesn’t hang over your head

12/01/2009

Every year around this time, the Ghost of Christmas Parties Past comes clanking down the hallway, dragging a chain of liability dread for employers. The biggest nightmare: alcohol-fueled misbehavior and mishaps. Here are 12 tips to ensure that what’s supposed to be the best of times doesn’t turn into the worst of times.

Nursing home plays doctor, will pay for pregnancy bias

12/01/2009

Charlotte-based Lawyers Glen retirement home has agreed to pay $20,000 to settle a pregnancy discrimination complaint brought by one of its nursing aides. When Ashley Wilhelm told her supervisor she was pregnant, she soon found herself working fewer hours. The reduction continued throughout her pregnancy, even though her physician certified she could work full time up until she gave birth.

Don’t let tough times affect basic safety

12/01/2009

These days, most employers are focusing hard on increasing per-employee output. By some measures, it’s working: Government statistics show large jumps in employee productivity. But some of those gains come when employees cut workplace safety corners to get more done. Don’t let that happen.

Holiday help for HR professionals

12/01/2009

Here’s a round-up of HR advice to heed as the holidays roll around. Click on the links below for answers to holiday questions posed by our readers, as well as a slew of tips to keep things festive without finding a subpeona in your stocking:

Beverage maker retains moms with range of flex benefits

11/28/2009

Three-quarters of the women employees who got promoted last year at alcoholic beverage maker Diageo had flexible work schedules, including job sharing, flextime, compressed hours and telework. Among all female workers at the company, half reduced their hours at some point during the year, and 60% used flextime.

Texting while driving a no-go for Pennsylvania auditors

11/26/2009

Auditors who work for the Pennsylvania state government are no longer allowed to text while driving. The state’s auditor general, who said the practice is not a problem for auditors in particular, issued the ban because of rising concerns about safety risks.