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

HR Management

Vague claims of illness not enough to trigger liability

07/01/2007

Employees should notify their employers before taking FMLA leave—30 days ahead if possible. In cases of emergencies or sudden illnesses, employees must let their employers know as soon as is practical. But that doesn’t mean calling in sick or providing a vague doctor’s note is enough …

How to prevent employees from abusing PTO leave

07/01/2007

A reader of our e-mail newsletter, HR Weekly, recently posed this question:  “We allow employees to take paid time off (PTO) in hourly increments, but they often use PTO when running late in the morning or for unexpected ‘appointments.’ How can we get a rein on our PTO leave?”

The shock jock heard ‘Round the world—And in NYPD, too

07/01/2007

It’s been called the “Imus virus”—people across the country repeating the infamous last words of radio shock jock Don Imus, always with equally dismal results. In Brooklyn, three female police officers filed a federal lawsuit against the New York City Police Department after a sergeant rallied them during roll call with “Stand up, hos.” …

Tell managers: Don’t require employees to speak English

07/01/2007

Warn managers and supervisors: It’s dangerous to demand that employees speak English at work! The EEOC sees restrictive English-only policies as possible national origin discrimination. What’s more, the National Labor Relations Board views such policies as possible unfair labor practices if the restriction limits the ability of employees to discuss work conditions …

No, I’m not God; I just play him on the PA

07/01/2007

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport fired a skycap who broadcast an anti-gay message over the public address system around 1 am on May 1 …

Woman claims she lost job because of AIDS, seeks over $1 million

07/01/2007

A Plant City woman has filed suit against 5-D Tropical, a Tampa fish farmer and importer, for AIDS discrimination …

Your choice: Your convict husband or your police job

07/01/2007
Login Email Address Password I forgot my password To continue reading this page, become an HR Specialist Premium Plus member today! Your subscription includes: Ask the Attorney: Answers to your HR legal questions Compliance Guidance: Access to 7,000 HR news articles, updated daily, sorted by state State-by-State: Summaries of HR laws in all 50 states […]

Check policies for impact on older applicants and employees

07/01/2007

Ever since a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2005, older workers and applicants have been able to prevail in age discrimination suits if they can show that an employer’s policy or hiring standard has a so-called “disparate impact” on those over 40 years old …

Run handbook by counsel to make sure it doesn’t destroy at-Will status

07/01/2007

Employers can fire at-will employees for any legal reason—or for no reason at all. Employees who work under a contract, on the other hand, have more rights. Don’t let a flawed employee handbook weaken your hand …

OK to apply different discipline standards to new employees

07/01/2007

If you classify employees as either permanent or probationary, you can apply different disciplinary standards to the different classifications. That’s true even if the employees perform the same job and violate the same rules …