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Safety/Health

Bipolar worker making threats: Accommodate or terminate?

06/07/2011

In the past few months, several Holly­wood celebrities—including Cath­erine Zeta-Jones and Demi Lovato—have publicly announced they suffer from bipolar disorder, a mental illness defined by high and low mood swings. But what if a bipolar employee ex­­hibits threatening behavior—can you discipline her, or must you accommodate the disability?

Make work safe for older employees (and everyone else, too)

06/03/2011
As an employer, you want to eliminate accidents. But paying particular attention to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s safety recommendations for older workers should make your workplace safer for everyone.

OSHA accident probe burns China Grove bakery

06/01/2011
A tip-off that prompted OSHA to investigate a South Texas commercial bakery could lead to fines totaling almost $230,000. But it wasn’t employee whistle-blowing that led the federal agency to crack down on Lone Star Bakery.

Hispanic workers at higher risk for on-the-job fatalities

05/20/2011
A report recently issued by Worksafe, a California advocacy group, found that California Hispanic workers are more than 50% more likely to die at work than non-Hispanic workers.

Court: Discipline OK if disabled worker makes threats

05/20/2011
It’s been an open question whether Cali­for­nia’s Fair Employment and Hous­ing Act allows employers to punish a mentally ill employee whose disease makes her act out. Now the answer is clear: You can punish mentally disabled employees for threats or violence against co-workers.

Workplace Smoking: State Laws

05/12/2011
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recently hailed the “half-way point in a remarkable journey” as more than 25 states now have laws prohibiting smoking in workplaces, restaurants and bars. Here is the list, plus a link to more state workplace smoking laws …

Wind farm accident fans huge OSHA fines

05/11/2011
After an electrical worker suffered severe burns while working on an Illinois wind turbine, OSHA cited the Minnesota company that owns the facility for six willful safety violations.

Take hard line on workplace violence threats

04/25/2011

Some employees think nothing of threatening their co-workers. Most employers disagree and aggressively move to stop such harassment. Courts are on the employers’ side: They’ll seldom second-guess a decision to fire the culprit.

Employing Minors: Federal Law & Legal Best Practices

04/19/2011
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Must you pay for protective equipment? OSHA explains rules

03/25/2011
Employers are required to provide and pay for most types of employee personal protective equipment (PPE), such as goggles and earplugs, but not for others, such as steel-toed boots. OSHA just released a new enforcement guidance document that explains those differences.