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Employment Law

Giving better-than-deserved reviews may be legal, but it’s unwise

06/01/2000
Six months after Richard Cullom began work as a staffing specialist at a Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital, his supervisor found his work …

Make sure you have valid reasons for unequal pay

06/01/2000
Valid reasons can include seniority, merit, quality of work, speed of production or, in this case, experience level. Comtech Manufacturing said it paid a male production supervisor 50 cents more an …

Don’t try docking pay for smoking breaks.

06/01/2000
An employer who allowed his workers to take a series of short smoking breaks had to compensate them for the time. Reason: Such approved short breaks (20 minutes or less) are …

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 …

Courts split on damages for FLSA retaliation

06/01/2000
Brian Snapp’s boss fired him after finding out Snapp had complained to the U.S. Labor Department that the company violated federal wage laws. A jury awarded Snapp …

Employee leave: Step carefully through maze of FMLA, ADA

06/01/2000
When a worker requests a leave of absence for a medical condition, it can be downright puzzling to balance the different requirements …

Comparing leave time under FMLA, ADA

06/01/2000
FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT Applies to: Employers with 50 or more employees working within a 75-mile radius of the work site during each of 20 or more workweeks …

Help employees protect their identity from theft

06/01/2000

Q. A few employees have complained that we use their Social Security numbers as their ID numbers. They’re concerned about potential theft of their identity. Is it legal for employers to use Social Security numbers for ID purposes? —D.T., Illinois

Subcontracting I-9 work won’t end your liability

06/01/2000

Q. We own a chain of restaurants. It has been a challenge for us to complete all of the I-9 forms and keep up with reverification of expired work authorizations. Is it legal for us to hire a company to handle these tasks for us? —A.M., Tennessee

Don’t let tummy aches turn into entitlements

05/01/2000
Katherine Thorson was fired for excessive absenteeism after missing four days of work due to stomach cramps and medical tests. All of her tests were normal, but weeks later (after her …