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Policies / Handbooks

Union ‘salts’ can shake your hiring policies.

06/01/2003
So-called ‘salts’ are pro-union applicants who try to win jobs in hopes of organizing a nonunion company. You can’t simply reject such applicants because of their …

Is your company at risk for a lawsuit over SARS?

06/01/2003
Employment law experts in America and abroad are raising the red flag about possible legal risks associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the spreading virus …

Nondisabled workers can claim ADA retaliation

05/01/2003
Warning: As odd as it may sound, don’t believe you’re safe from an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) lawsuit if the employee fails to prove a disability. Most people think …

Monitoring staff phones? Hang up when you realize it’s a personal call

05/01/2003
You can monitor your employees’ communications, within reasonable limits. But you can’t let your monitoring escalate to eavesdropping and violate workers’ …

Sexual harassment: Your best game plan is prevention

05/01/2003
THE LAW. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Although Title VII doesn’t specifically mention …

Post Vacation Schedules in Employee-Only Areas

05/01/2003

Q. We post employees’ vacation schedules in the employee lunchroom. Occasionally, outside visitors or customers visit the lunchroom, too. Some employees have complained about this posting policy, saying it borders on invasion of privacy. Are they right and should we stop doing this from a legal standpoint? —M.M., New Jersey

Don’t cut severance if it violates written contract

05/01/2003

Q. We need to change our severance policy, mostly due to declining business conditions. Can we reduce the severance amounts cited in employment agreements with certain staff as long as we notify them of the change? —J.C., Illinois

Age-based remark can spark lawsuit, even when made by older manager

04/01/2003
Respond to “age slurs” by any employees, even if the worker making the remark is older than the person who was slurred. As a recent case shows, over-40 employees can …

Don’t let weather closings bury you in pay confusion

04/01/2003
If your business closes because of bad weather, clear rules dictate who you must pay. First, exempt employees must receive their full salaries when bad weather …

You don’t have to offer FMLA leave to let worker travel with sick spouse

04/01/2003
Courts keep pushing the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) boundaries, letting employees take job-protected leave for circumstances other than physically providing care to a sick family member.