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Discipline / Investigations

Stop ‘equal opportunity harasser’ even if law doesn’t cover you

07/01/2000
Steven and Karen Holman are not only married and work together in the same maintenance department, but they also filed suit together claiming sexual harassment …

Fix classification errors promptly or ‘window of correction’ will close

06/01/2000
A group of managers and registered nurses who worked for Santa Clara County, Calif., were classified as exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), making …

Watch for warning signs of workers’ comp fraud

06/01/2000

Q. We’ve had a number of suspicious injuries at work this year. We don’t want to jump to conclusions, but how can we determine if these injuries are part of a workers’ comp insurance fraud scheme? —K.H., Mississippi

Have clear conduct rules or risk ADA nightmare

05/01/2000
A fight with a co-worker drove Manuella Dionisio Reed to tears. She was so upset that she had to leave work and ended up in the hospital for days. Reed, …

You must pay for all work, even if it’s not authorized

04/01/2000

Q. In the October 1999 issue, you explained that nonexempt employees who work more than 40 hours in a week are entitled to overtime for all hours over 40, regardless of whether the overtime was authorized. Do we owe overtime if a nonexempt employee works more than his or her scheduled hours even if the total number of hours worked does not exceed 40? —J.P., Illinois

New risk: Workers can claim retaliation even if there’s no adverse job action

03/01/2000
Judy Morris’ supervisor at the county road department first evaluated Morris’ job performance as “excellent.” Later, he rated her as “very good.” The supervisor said …

Women-hating comments, even if not sexual, can equal sexual harassment

03/01/2000
Elizabeth Smith got hit with a double whammy: a harassing boss and a company that didn’t take it seriously. In the end, the company’s lax response cost it big-time …

Don’t fear distress caused by proper investigations

03/01/2000
You don’t have to worry that the target of your harassment investigation will turn around and sue you for emotional distress. The 2nd Circuit said he …

Harassment: How to stop it before, and after, it starts

03/01/2000
Protect your organization from employee lawsuits for harassment by focusing your attention on both preventive and corrective measures. Provide every employee …

Don’t hand out authority without giving training to match

02/01/2000
Promoting lower-level employees to supervisory roles, even if it’s on a temporary or “acting” basis, can backfire if you fail to educate them on their new legal responsibilities. That’s what happened …