Safety/Health

Must we have a smoking section onsite?

09/16/2014

Q. Our smoking area is outside our building, but the smoke seems to be drifting into the ventilation system. An employee who is super-sensitive to smells has complained. Can we move smokers to their vehicles? Do we even need to provide a place for smokers onsite?

How far can I go to ban guns at work?

07/31/2014

Q. As the owner of a Texas company, I want to institute a policy that strictly forbids employees from bringing guns to work—both into the office building and in the parking lot outside. Can I legally draft such a policy?

Plan in advance to weather natural disasters

07/10/2014

Smart employers make contingency plans so they can stay up and running even when normal work operations are disrupted. Here are eight key pieces to a crisis-management plan, which you can coordinate with the appropriate departments.

Assault & battery suits an emerging legal risk

07/09/2014

While you likely have a grasp on the definition of unlawful harassment and discrimination, have you thought about what constitutes assault and battery in the workplace?

Safety-first focus shows concern for employees

06/09/2014

Toledo, Ohio-based Owens Corning offers cellphones to employees who need them for business, but employees are forbidden from using the phones while driving. The building-materials manufacturer is trying to convince employees to “own” their unsafe behavior.

Prevent violence with good hiring, training, supervision

06/06/2014

Most incidents of workplace violence could have been prevented. A supportive workplace, in fact, is one that works daily to keep violence at bay, using a three-stage strategy of primary, secondary and third-level prevention.

NLRB, OSHA pact gives longer life to whistle-blower claims

05/28/2014

Employers can expect more whistle-blower cases to be heard as unfair labor practices charges now that the National Labor Relations Board and OSHA have agreed to cooperate when employees file late safety-related complaints.

Worker acting strangely? Request evaluation

05/15/2014

If you think a worker could benefit from psychological help and fear that he may pose a danger to himself or others, you can require an evaluation.

Disability leave: Best intentions may backfire

04/23/2014

Here’s something to consider before you place an employee on disability leave following an employer-ordered medical exam. That employee may end up being considered disabled—even if the exam revealed no real medical problems. Essentially, by examining him and placing him on leave, you are regarding him as disabled. He can then sue for disability discrimination.

Lancaster nurse fired after refusing influenza vaccine

03/06/2014

Lancaster-based Horizons Healthcare fired a nurse after she refused to have a flu vaccine. The company requires its employees to get flu shots to limit potential epidemics. The nurse offered to wear a mask while on duty, instead. It’s a case that has yet to result in a lawsuit—but it could.