02/03/2012
Some companies are careless, some are unlucky. Apparently Case Farm Chickens is both. Not only is the company facing $288,000 in fines for 61 OSHA violations, but it experienced an ammonia leak the day OSHA inspectors showed up at its Wineburg facility.
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02/03/2012
If you’re ever hauled into court to testify in an employment lawsuit against your organization, what you say—and how you say it—can sink your defense … or help you win. Prepare yourself for any lawsuit by asking yourself these 10 questions:
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02/01/2012
Test your knowledge of recent trends in employment law, comp & benefits and other HR issues with our monthly mini-quiz ...
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01/31/2012
The U.S. Department of Labor has proposed new FMLA rules that would formalize several statutory amendments that expanded military family-leave rights in 2008 and 2009. The new rules would officially incorporate into the FMLA amendments that were tacked onto the National Defense Authorization Act. If you're covered by the FMLA, these rules will apply to you.
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01/31/2012
Employees who sue for discrimination have to prove they are members of a protected class, were qualified for the position they held, were terminated or subjected to another adverse action and were treated less favorably than employees outside their protected class. Employers that can show the employee was insubordinate can quickly win such cases.
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01/27/2012
There’s no guarantee your employees’ personal devices are as well-protected as company-issued devices. To ensure the safety of employee-owned smartphones and continued access to your company’s information, take these six steps before allowing employees to use them for work.
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01/27/2012
Violence in the workplace is a harsh reality, but employers must provide a safe work environment. That may mean terminating employees who threaten other employees or get into fights.
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01/27/2012
If your employees post on their work-related Twitter accounts, a pending lawsuit in a federal California court could answer an important question: Who owns that Twitter “handle” and those followers when the employee leaves?
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01/26/2012
With Congress focused on election-year politics, keep an eye on your state for potential changes to employment laws, says the Society for Human Resource Management. Some issues on tap: background checks, paid sick leave, mandatory E-Verify and workplace bullying.
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01/25/2012
When it comes to litigation, who said what is often the crux of the matter. That’s why it’s important to have a witness during any meeting involving bias complaints.
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01/20/2012
A laboratory fire that killed a UCLA technician has resulted in felony charges against the university and Professor Patrick Harran, who ran the lab.
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01/20/2012
While employees with chronic medical conditions are typically entitled to FMLA leave, such intermittent absences are fertile ground for abuse. After all, an employee on intermittent leave can simply call in and say his condition is acting up. But that doesn’t mean you’re powerless if you suspect abuse.
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01/18/2012
Q. We do not have a workplace violence policy and would like to prepare one. What should we include in the policy?
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01/18/2012
Q. We’re re-examining our workplace violence-prevention strategies. What guidance is available to employers?
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01/18/2012
Charges of religious discrimination filed with the EEOC have increased steadily in recent years. One recent case provides a powerful reminder that employers are obligated to reasonably accommodate an employee’s religious beliefs and practices.
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