• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

Employment Law

Offer, don’t force, light duty as option for FMLA leave

02/01/2005
Issue: Court ruling says employees can perform light-duty work during their FMLA leave.
Benefit: In such cases, time spent on light-duty work would count toward the employees’ 12-week FMLA allotment …

Revamp employment contracts to account for new tax rules

02/01/2005
Issue: A new IRS ruling says signing bonuses and early-termination payments are considered taxable wages.
Risk: Overlooking that decision can trigger compensation problems or IRS penalties.
Action: Take this …

Employ teens? See new list of ‘too dangerous’ jobs

02/01/2005
The U.S. Labor Department unveiled new limits on the type of responsibilities you can give teen employees in certain industries. The key changes, which take effect Feb. 14: new limits on …

Beware of costly time-clock ’rounding’

01/01/2005
If your organization uses a time clock, you probably haven’t thought about whether it’s programmed accurately. But a seemingly small hiccup in “rounding” hourly employees’ work time could cost big bucks. …

Payroll records: What to track (and for how long)

01/01/2005

Violating Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) timekeeping rules can be a costly error, as the hospital in one case discovered. The FLSA requires employers to keep at least the following …

No need to accommodate those who want to work overtime

01/01/2005
You’re required to reasonably accommodate employees when their religious practices conflict with their job requirements. But what if an employee asks for an accommodation just so he can work overtime? Must …

Probe all complaints; even positive review can trigger retaliation claim

01/01/2005
Can supervisors be guilty of retaliation if they give a mostly positive performance review? Yes, it’s possible.
As the following case shows, if an employee views any part of her …

‘Equal-opportunity harasser’ defense may not save you in court

01/01/2005
You may think that if an employee subjects both male and female co-workers to the same offensive conduct, employees of neither sex can file a sexual-harassment lawsuit.
In past cases, …

Well-meaning assistance won’t always mean you view worker as ‘disabled’

01/01/2005
If your organization regards an employee as having a
“disability”, even if his or her condition doesn’t rise to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)’s definition, your actions could cause …

You’re not required to give reservists a post-duty rest period

01/01/2005
If you have military reservists on staff, you can call them to work right after they return from their weekend duty or other service obligations. Contrary to what you may have …