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Employment Law

Strong harassment policy plus training essential

05/01/2007

It’s been a few years since the U.S. Supreme Court laid down the law on sexual harassment…. Time breeds complacency, and too many organizations have let down their guard. The world’s best policy won’t do you any good collecting dust on a shelf …

How not to handle a whistle-blower’s complaint: Threaten to kill employees who report you

05/01/2007

The Florida’s Private-Sector Whistleblower Act protects employees who report alleged wrongdoing to their employers. Ignoring the complaint—or worse, threatening discipline, job loss or anything else that could be viewed as retaliation—will land you in court in no time flat …

Whistle-Blower Act doesn’t apply to religious employment

05/01/2007

Employees who work for religious organizations, such as church schools, can’t sue for retaliation under Florida’s Private-Sector Whistleblower Act, even if the conduct they report is clearly illegal …

Whistle-blower complaint muddies Environmental Protection waters

05/01/2007

A senior chemist with nearly 20 years of experience in the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has filed a whistle-blower complaint …

Walgreens employees file race discrimination lawsuit

05/01/2007

More than 20 current and former employees from Florida and Missouri have filed an EEOC race discrimination suit against Illinois-based Walgreens. They claim the company makes store assignments based on race …

While he’s done a great job as city manager, she’s got to go

05/01/2007

Largo is struggling to live up to its “City of Progress” moniker after the city commission voted in February to fire City Manager Steve Stanton for planning a sex-change operation …

After years of harassment, prison nurses get almost $1 million

05/01/2007

Twelve nurses working in the Washington Correctional Institute sued the Florida Department of Corrections for allowing male prisoners to harass them despite years of complaints to superiors …

Religious accommodations in Florida workplaces: 5 steps to take

05/01/2007

Florida mirrors America’s growing diversity in many ways. Today, co-workers wear burqas and yarmulkes, and some employees request prayer breaks. Religious diversity is a reason for celebration, but it also presents workplace challenges. Religious discrimination claims filed with the EEOC more than doubled in the past year …

Exempt or not? Track employees’ hours either way

05/01/2007

Figuring out who should be classified as exempt or hourly is undoubtedly one of the hardest parts of an HR professional’s job. Get it wrong, and your organization may owe thousands in back pay and penalties …

The babies are fine at Babies “R” Us, expectant moms maybe not so much

05/01/2007

You might have thought it would lend the place a little authenticity, but when fast-track manager Renee Bettis announced she was expecting a baby, she got an unexpected boot out the door …