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OSHA enforcing recordkeeping rules; find out if you must comply

09/01/2002
At the start of 2002, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revamped its regulations on which companies must keep injury and illness records. OSHA gave companies six months to get …

Stop relying on Social Security number as employee ID

09/01/2002
Identity theft is among the nation’s fastest-growing crimes, and your personnel files and other HR data can be gold mines for would-be thieves. Getting a Social Security number (SSN), in particular, …

Just Say No to Rescinded Resignation

09/01/2002

Q. We have an employee who submitted a dated, signed resignation letter but then changed her mind and wanted the letter back. She was not a good employee, but we let her rescind the letter because we thought we’d be on shaky legal ground. Could we have held her to it? —M.L., Ohio

No job application needed to sue for hiring bias

09/01/2002
When a University of Arkansas dean position was advertised on campus and statewide, Howard Lockridge, an African-American department chairman, told his supervisors he wasn’t planning to apply for the job. …

Drinking on the job? If it’s a job requirement, employer bears responsibility

09/01/2002
Strippers at a Texas nightclub can sue their employer for injuries caused by driving home drunk, the Texas Supreme Court has ruled. The nightclub requires its dancers to down the alcoholic …

Job descriptions: Make ’em lawsuit-proof

08/01/2002
Job descriptions are among the first items that courts examine to determine the legitimacy of a discrimination charge. You can use them as part of a defense in court only if …

Challenging an OSHA citation? Don’t miss 15-day deadline

08/01/2002
OSHA slapped a building contractor with $11,000 in fines for several serious safety violations. The agency sent a notice of citation by certified mail. A company secretary picked up the letter …

Tighter compliance on small firms or more business-friendly DOL?

08/01/2002
It could be some of both. The U.S. Labor Department recently announced it’s creating a new position, a director of compliance assistance who will make sure small businesses comply with regulations. …

Employees have zero privacy claim on e-mail

08/01/2002
Two insurance workers sued, claiming privacy rights, after they were fired for forwarding sexually explicit e-mails. The company had a clear policy that banned defamatory, abusive, obscene or threatening messages. The …

Rehiring ex-addict? Get proof of rehab

08/01/2002
Joel Hernandez had worked for Hughes Aircraft for 25 years when he tested positive for cocaine during a workplace drug test. Rather than be fired, he resigned. The company noted in …