• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

Safety/Health

How much leeway do employers have to prohibit handguns at work?

07/01/2008
Q. We have an employee who has a permit to carry a concealed handgun. Can we prohibit him from bringing his handgun to work? …

Don’t let them eat cake: Join HR’s war on fat

07/01/2008

The focus on overweight employees has always been on the extra expense they add to an organization’s health care costs. But the issue also spills over into a productivity problem, according to a recent study. Aggressive wellness efforts can help trim the workforce size—in a good way …

Do you use subcontractors? Get solid advice on liability potential

07/01/2008
If your company uses subcontractors, you could end up liable for any injuries the subcontractors’ employees suffer while working for you. Or they could just collect workers’ comp. Which scenario will apply to you? A lot depends on whether or not your organization is the “statutory employer” …

Wellness Rx: Help Employees Spend Less on Prescriptions

06/10/2008
Prescription drug costs account for a huge chunk of employer-provided health care insurance premiums—and those costs are rising fast. Don’t run the risk that your workers won’t fill needed prescriptions because they can’t afford to. They’ll stay healthier if you teach them how to hunt for bargains on prescribed drugs.

He was expecting Paris in springtime, perhaps?

06/10/2008
Flight attendant Eder Rojas, of Woodbury, was arrested in Minneapolis in May for allegedly setting fire to a Compass Airlines plane. Investigators said Rojas told them he was upset about having to work the apparently undesirable Minneapolis-to-Regina, Saskatchewan, route …

Business groups battle gun law

06/09/2008
The Florida Retail Federation and the state Chamber of Commerce have filed a joint lawsuit against the Florida Attorney General’s Office, challenging the constitutionality of the state’s recently enacted guns-at-work law …

Lack of potty parity may spark sex discrimination claim

06/06/2008
Employers in male-dominated industries, take note: Make sure new female hires who work in a largely male environment have access to restroom facilities that meet women’s needs. Don’t expect women to adopt male restroom habits …

Make sure picnics and parties are off the clock—And please limit the alcohol

06/06/2008
If you throw an employee party that involves alcohol, make sure no one is on the clock or has to do work on behalf of the organization. Better yet, don’t provide alcohol. One employer didn’t heed that advice and wound up facing a third-party negligence lawsuit …

Miami judge packs heat to ward off bailiff

06/06/2008
Miami County Municipal Court Judge Mel Kemmer decided to take matters into his own hands after a bailiff who threatened him was allowed to return to work. …

Violence on the job? OK to base punishment on job classification and severity of offense

06/04/2008
While a zero-tolerance policy for fighting on the job is a good idea, it may not always be necessary. Instead, you can draw a distinction between violent transgressions and mere arguments that escalate into pushing or shoving. You also may want the discretion to punish workers in some categories more harshly than others …