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Alabama

State-by-state 2012 short-term child-care leave laws

07/14/2012

The federal FMLA doesn’t cover employees who take time off for school visits or to care for kids who aren’t seriously ill but who must stay home from school. Some state laws do. The chart below summarizes state short-term leave laws.

Not a federal case: Gospel music, incivility

07/12/2012
Courts don’t tolerate religious har­assment, but they won’t punish an employer for occasional lapses in good sense, either. That’s the lesson of the following case.

Don’t be afraid to fire insubordinate supervisor

07/12/2012
Not everyone is cut out to be a boss. Some employees just can’t direct others or criticize their work. If a supervisor can’t—or won’t—do his job, termination may be inevitable.

Act fast to stop any workplace incident that smacks of racism or racial harassment

07/12/2012
Generally, a single racially charged incident won’t create a hostile work environment. But repeated or escalating incidents will. That’s why employers should take immediate, firm action to stop future problems.

Avoid new legal risk: Train supervisors to stamp out hostile work environment retaliation

07/12/2012
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has approved new grounds for discrimination lawsuits. It recently ruled that employees who file discrimination complaints can sue for retaliation if their employers punish them with a hostile work environment.

When employee is pregnant, insist on HR approval for every job-related move

07/12/2012
Not every pregnancy is the same and not every pregnant woman can perform her job right up until she goes into labor. Because there is so much variability and because women are protected from pregnancy discrimination, it’s crucial to consider each case individually.

Adjust internal pay scales to end sex bias

07/12/2012
The Equal Pay Act (EPA) requires that men and women in the same workplace be given equal pay for substantially similar work. If you discover a pay disparity between substantially similar male and female employees, fix the problem right away to let women catch up. Don’t use pay policies as an excuse to slow the process.

Tell bosses: Include details in evaluations

06/21/2012
Here’s an important reminder for supervisors: Details count at evaluation time, especially if poor performance will lead to a performance improvement plan or even discharge.

Company itself may be liable when CEO is the harasser

06/11/2012
Here’s a difficult situation for even the most experienced HR pro: What should you do if you believe the head of your company is a harasser? There’s no easy answer, as this case shows.

Honestly believe worker lied? It’s OK to terminate him

06/11/2012
Did an employee lie about an illness and abuse FMLA leave? As long as you honestly and in good faith believe the employee was dishonest, your disciplinary decision will hold up in court.