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Employment Law

Johnnie Cochran’s law firm takes aim at poultry processors

04/01/2007

The Cochran Firm, founded by the late Johnnie Cochran of O.J. Simpson-defense fame, has set its sights on the poultry-processing industry, filing lawsuits for back wages and other workplace violations …

Small subsidiary isn’t subject to FMLA if separate from parent

04/01/2007

S.P. Richards Co. (SPR), a Smyrna office-supply wholesaler, recently won an FMLA victory when the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals determined it would be considered separately from its parent company, Genuine Parts Co. …

Should you be allowed to ban guns from employees’ cars?

04/01/2007

The Georgia House and Senate once again are considering bills that would prohibit employers from banning guns from company parking lots …

You can ban employee smoking, but can you ban smokers?

04/01/2007

Employers are always looking for ways to cut health care costs … and smoking and overweight employees may seem like ripe targets for change …

Brace Against Rising Tide of Age-Bias Lawsuits in Florida

04/01/2007

Florida’s population is the oldest in the United States. So perhaps it comes as no surprise that older workers in the state are becoming increasingly litigious in filing Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) lawsuits …

Employers don’t always have to be right, just honest

04/01/2007

When you know it’s time to discharge an employee, don’t let excessive fear of a lawsuit immobilize you. The fact is, employers do make mistakes, but not all their errors lead to liability …

Wear two hats in evaluating harassment complaint

04/01/2007

If your HR job includes evaluating claims of sexual harassment and hostile environment, it’s a good idea to approach investigations from two separate but related angles …

Swift response is key to derailing harassment claim

04/01/2007

When a co-worker launches a harassment campaign, you must act fast or risk a hostile-environment lawsuit. That means all your managers must know the drill to follow the moment they get wind of harassment …

How to Set Reasonable Call-In Rules for Absences

04/01/2007

For many employers, absenteeism is a constant problem. You know you must give employees some slack, especially for family and medical emergencies and to accommodate disabilities that sometimes flare up. But, to make sure the work gets done, you need to know who’s going to show up and who isn’t …

In employment contracts, use clear, unambiguous terms

04/01/2007

When Florida courts interpret employment contracts, they look first and foremost to the contract language. If it’s clear and unambiguous, they enforce the terms strictly. But if the court questions the meaning of some terms, it will interpret them in a way that benefits the employee …