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  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
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Q&A

Write Job Descriptions Before Trouble Starts

10/01/2002

Q. How serious is it if written job descriptions aren’t in place for employees? Is it safe to draft them even after a termination that could result in a lawsuit? —B.B., New York

Dole Out Stipends in a Nonbiased Way

10/01/2002

Q. Is it legal to offer some employees, but not others, stipends to help with education, rent or lodging? —N.G., California

Just Say No to Rescinded Resignation

09/01/2002

Q. We have an employee who submitted a dated, signed resignation letter but then changed her mind and wanted the letter back. She was not a good employee, but we let her rescind the letter because we thought we’d be on shaky legal ground. Could we have held her to it? —M.L., Ohio

Comp Time for Exempt Workers: A Slippery Slope

09/01/2002

Q. Is it legal to give our full-time, salaried employees extra time off from work due to meetings and extra workload responsibilities? —C.E., West Virginia

When Can You Fire a Disabled Worker?

09/01/2002

Q. We’ve had a disabled worker on staff for five years. He’s consistently absent or tardy and has trouble working with others and keeping up his job duties. We adjusted his hours, but his poor work forced us to reassign some of his duties and even hire another person to help carry the load. What can we do? —F.F., Texas

When to Pay for Rest Breaks

08/01/2002

Q. What’s the deal on paying workers for rest breaks? —J.S., California

English-Only Rule Is Legal in Rare Circumstances

08/01/2002

Q. Is it legal for our company to require employees to speak only English at work? —B.K., Idaho

Tread Carefully With Drug Test, Psychiatric Help

08/01/2002

Q. Can we suggest psychiatric help for an employee who we suspect may be having trouble with substance abuse? And can we require a random drug test? —H.J., Texas

Don’t Rely on ‘Same-Actor’ Defense

08/01/2002

Q. If an employee claims she was discriminated against by the same supervisor who hired and fired her, does the employer have a defense to the discrimination claim? —S.D., New Jersey

Be Wary of Firing Overpaid Employee

07/01/2002

Q. Is it legal to terminate an employee because he makes a high salary? —J.L., Arizona