Safety/Health

Know the one key limit on at-will employment

06/02/2010

Because Texas is an “at-will” state, employers are generally free to fire employees for any reason or no reason. Of course, firing employees under circumstances that would be illegal under any specific employment law won’t fly. But other than that, there is only one other discharge reason that puts employees outside at-will employment: Employers can’t fire employees for refusing to perform an illegal act.

Cintas reaches settlement in employee’s accidental death

05/11/2010

Cincinnati-based uniform company Cintas will pay an employee’s widow for her husband’s workplace death. Eleazar Torres-Gomez was killed at the firm’s Tulsa, Okla., plant on March 6, 2007, when he fell into a dryer while trying to clear a conveyor belt jammed with wet laundry.

What has four legs and hurts your employees every day?

05/04/2010

Even for office workers who exercise regularly, spending most of the day sitting increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. Here are four easy ways your employees—and you—can beat that deadly workplace peril: the chair.

Take a hike: Tomorrow is National Walk @ Lunch Day

04/27/2010

Get ready to trade working lunches for walking lunches. On April 28, employees at thousands of companies will take part in “National Walk @ Lunch Day.” It’s not too late to organize your own lunchtime trek—we’ve got links to the planning tools you need.

Apply zero-tolerance policy on workplace violence across the board

04/19/2010

Many employers have adopted so-called zero-tolerance rules prohibiting any kind of violence at work. The reason: Getting rid of violent employees is crucial to maintaining a safe work environment. But be careful how you enforce the rule. If you ever make exceptions, you’re asking for a lawsuit.

Lowe’s to offer free employee health screening

04/15/2010

Home improvement giant Lowe’s is offering free health screenings to its employees. Lowe’s partnerships with health care providers mean employees will be able to get free checks of their blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, waist size, hip size, weight, height, body fat percentage and body-mass index.

OSHA claims Illinois Central railroaded whistle-blower

04/15/2010

In a case involving retaliation against an employee who reported a workplace injury, OSHA has won a judgment against the Illinois Central Railroad. The railroad investigated the reported injury—and then fired the man who reported it.

Toledo-area BP refinery hit with OSHA fines

04/05/2010

OSHA has levied more than $3 million in fines against BP North America and BP-Husky for violations at their plant in Oregon, Ohio. The fines result from a September 2009 inspection that revealed 42 willful violations of OSHA codes and 20 serious violations.

OSHA fines Western Pa. roofer following 2009 fatal fall

03/26/2010

A Pittsburgh-area roofing company must pay more than half a million dollars in federal fines following the accidental death of one of its employees last year. OSHA fined C.A. Franc Construction Co. for failing to protect workers from falling on its job sites.

‘Healthy Workplace’ winners eat well during meetings

03/16/2010

Winners of the Thurston County, Wash., Chamber of Commerce’s “Healthy Workplace” designation are serious about what their employees eat—especially during business meetings. Here are four examples of how Thurston County employers encourage their staffs to lay off the junk food while at work.