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Safety/Health

Safety violations cost Cintas $3 million in 3 months

01/01/2008

Cincinnati-based Cintas Corp. was hit with another $196,000 in fines for safety violations at its Mobile, AL, location, bringing its total OSHA fines to more than $3 million in just three months …

EEOC called after MRSA scare costs Miami man his job

01/01/2008

A South Florida man may be the first U.S. employee to lose his job over methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus—a highly contagious and potentially lethal, drug-resistant bacterial infection also known as MRSA …

If new employee clearly isn’t working out, fire and move on

01/01/2008

Sometimes it becomes painfully obvious you’ve made a hiring mistake shortly after the new employee clocks in on day one. If, during initial training or on the first assignment, you know the employee will not meet your legitimate expectations—and you can substantiate your impression—it may be best to admit the mistake and discharge the new employee …

OSHA fines tire recycler $219,800

01/01/2008

OSHA issued $219,800 in fines against Tires Into Recycled Energy & Supplies Inc. (TIRES), of Jackson, following a fire at its plant last May that resulted in an employee’s death …

Los Angeles grocery ordinance conflicts with state regulations

01/01/2008

In a tentative decision, a California state court ruled that a Los Angeles grocery ordinance is void. A complaint by the California Grocers Association challenged the Grocery Worker Retention Ordinance, which set limits on the termination of employees, including requiring grocers to retain employees for 90 days after a change in ownership.

Employee’s infection proves costly to Liz Claiborne store

01/01/2008

When an employee with an unidentified infection came to work at the Liz Claiborne Outlet Store at Lighthouse Place in Michigan City, management feared it might be MRSA and closed the store to disinfect it …

St. Vincent Hospital fires worker over threatening note

01/01/2008

A white environmental services attendant recently sued St. Vincent Carmel Hospital, claiming racial discrimination and retaliation. He was fired for violating the hospital’s anti-violence policy …

Philadelphia leads nation in workplace homicides

01/01/2008

Nearly one in four Philadelphia-area workers who died on the job in 2006 was a homicide victim, the highest proportion in the nation. The U.S. Labor Department reported in December that 89 workers in the area died on the job in 2006, 22 of them by homicide …

OMG! TWD is nothing to LOL about: Set policy to ease ‘Texting-While-Driving’ risks

12/11/2007

People who send text messages while driving are three times more likely to crash than other drivers, and distracted driving accounts for 80% of all accidents. You need a policy that prohibits employees from texting while driving on company business. Here’s why it’s important and how to craft your policy.

EEOC Eyes the New Breed of Wellness Programs

12/11/2007

With health insurance premiums outpacing inflation for what feels like the hundredth year in a row, employers are looking for innovative ways to cut costs. Many are taking a fresh look at wellness programs. So is the EEOC.