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

Terminations

At-will employment remains alive and well in Pennsylvania

12/04/2008

Employees and their lawyers are always trying to find new ways to expand the claims they can make against employers. They try novel approaches to try to sweeten the recovery pot, as the following case shows.

UPS driver sues over dreads

12/04/2008

Nieland Bynoe was hired as a driver for UPS Freight in 2007. He hadn’t even made it through orientation, however, before he was fired for refusing to shave his beard and cut off his dreadlocks … The EEOC has sued on his behalf.

Ike forces 3,800 job cuts at UT’s Galveston hospital

12/04/2008

The governing board of the University of Texas announced that it plans to cut 3,800 full-time jobs at its University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston because of financial losses caused by Hurricane Ike.

Benchmarking your cuts: How low can you go?

12/02/2008

As the impact of the global financial crisis seeps into the roots of the American economy, employers and HR are being forced to make tough decisions. So far, one-fifth of U.S. employers have instituted layoffs, and another 26% expect to shed jobs in the next 12 months …

Dishing out bad news? 6 tips for your emotional survival

12/02/2008

Announcing layoffs and cuts in pay and benefits can exact a personal toll on you, too. Here are six tips from psychologists and HR experts to help you cope with the stress that results from telling employees things that cause them anguish.

‘At-will’ clause doesn’t turn contractor into employee

11/25/2008

Do your independent-contractor agreements include a clause that allows either you or the other party to terminate the relationship at will, without stating a cause? If so, rest easy …

Don’t fear conflicting reviews show discrimination

11/25/2008

Sometimes, employees work with several supervisors, all of whom provide input on that employee’s performance. But courts generally won’t view differing evaluations by more than one supervisor as evidence of discrimination

N.J. state troopers seek a seat at the bar

11/25/2008

Two organizations that represent New Jersey state troopers have filed a lawsuit against Attorney General Anne Milgram, seeking the right to moonlight as lawyers.

Tell bosses: Absolutely no comments on ethnicity

11/25/2008

Here’s another good reason to tell all managers you’ll tolerate absolutely no ethnic, religious or racial comments: Just one or two comments followed by an adverse employment action may be enough to establish a hostile work environment. And those later acts can extend the time the employee has to file his claim.

Know the law: Simply taking FMLA leave doesn’t necessarily mean worker is disabled

11/25/2008

Generally, someone whose condition qualifies as a disability under the ADA is probably also entitled to FMLA leave when that disability flares up. But the reverse is not always true.