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Employment Law

Warn supervisors: Over-the-Top, irrational behavior may mean personal liability

07/02/2008
Warn hot-headed supervisors that they risk personal liability if they don’t cool it. Employees claiming intentional infliction of emotional distress can sue the company and the supervisor personally, collecting from both …

Keep careful employee count—Exact numbers may pay off in lawsuit

07/02/2008
If a lawsuit involves several employees and Title VII violations, your legal bills could quickly grow. But the law caps damages depending on how many employees an employer had during the year in which the discrimination took place or the year before …

OSHA citations follow NYC window-Washing scaffold collapse

07/02/2008
OSHA has cited two companies for workplace safety violations that led to the deaths of two window washers in Manhattan last December. The workers fell 47 stories when their scaffolding platform detached from the window-washing rig attached to the building’s roof …

Tavern on the Green pays a big harassment tab

07/02/2008
Manhattan’s Tavern on the Green restaurant has agreed to pay $2.2 million for “severe and pervasive sexual, racial and national origin harassment of female, black and Hispanic employees.” The EEOC said sexual harassment at the Central Park landmark eatery included graphic comments and demands for sexual acts …

Nassau County SPCA faces sexual harassment suits

07/02/2008
Susan Collison of Massapequa, a former volunteer investigative sergeant with the Nassau County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), is suing the society, the county and its leadership for sexual harassment, gender discrimination and retaliation … 

Using GPS tracking devices without violating employee privacy

07/02/2008
Global Positioning System devices make it easy for employers to keep track of the location of company vehicles. But for all the pluses of GPS, there are minuses. Because GPS devices also can pinpoint where employees who use company vehicles are and where they have been, the technology has raised new worker privacy concerns that HR professionals need to know about …

Lack of ‘Potty parity’ can spark discrimination claim

07/01/2008

It may sound trivial, but employers in male-dominated industries should take note: Make sure your female employees have access to equal restroom facilities that meet women’s needs. Don’t expect women to adopt male restroom habits. 

Deflecting cupid’s arrow: Should you even try to prevent interoffice dating?

07/01/2008
Office romances may start off hot, but they can quickly cool down into disputes, hard feelings and even lawsuits. Don’t put a complete ban on romantic relationships between any co-workers. It’s unrealistic and impossible to police. Instead, prohibit dating between employees who report directly to one another …

Is Howard Stern harassing your female employees?

07/01/2008
The growth of XM and Sirius satellite radio service has brought uncensored radio programming into cubicles, warehouses and breakrooms. And as a new court ruling proves, employees who overhear such sexual banter—even if it’s not directed at them—can sue for harassment …

The HR I.Q. Test: July ’08

07/01/2008
Test your knowledge of recent trends in employment law, comp & benefits and other HR issues with our monthly mini-quiz …