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Employment Law

Extra travel time counts as work time

10/01/2000

Q. One of our executives will be making day trips once a week to New York from Washington, D.C., for a special assignment, and her secretary will be accompanying her. The secretary’s regular workday is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The trips will require the secretary to arrive at the airport by 7:30 a.m., and she’ll be back in Washington by 8 p.m. Do we have to compensate the nonexempt secretary for her travel time to and from New York? —L.L., Washington, D.C.

Pitch old records with care

10/01/2000

Q. How long is a company supposed to keep paper records? We’d like to throw out some of our old, archived paperwork. —B.H., Pennsylvania

New union threat: NLRB makes it easier for temps to join

10/01/2000
If you thought contracting for temporary and contingent workers would save you headaches, you may be reaching for the aspirin again. Temps used to need permission …

Don’t jump the gun on job offers; control who promises what

10/01/2000
Based on an oral offer from a hospital’s interim CEO, James Greisi accepted a job as a physical therapy manager. A few days later, Greisi received a written offer …

No special protection for morning sickness

10/01/2000
After 20 unexcused absences in a year, Jennifer Dormeyer was fired from her job as a bank teller. She claimed nine of the absences were because of morning sickness and sued …

Extra damages can be awarded to cover tax consequences

10/01/2000
A jury awarded Richard O’Neill $519,000 in his age discrimination lawsuit against Sears. But O’Neill asked the judge to award extra damages to cover …

Workers can moonlight during FMLA leave

09/01/2000
Minutes after arguing with her supervisor, hospital psychiatric nurse Debbie Stekloff said she was too upset to work and walked off the job. Later that day …

Let employee bring co-worker to inquiry meeting

09/01/2000
If one of your employees wants to bring a co-worker along to an investigative meeting that could result in discipline, you’d better let him. Union employees …

Set reasonable limits on noncompete agreements

09/01/2000
Redd Pest Control tried to turn its financial fortunes around by setting a $7,500 per-month quota for each technician’s route. Wayne Foster and Isadore Smith …

Be consistent: Don’t slap harasser on wrist, then fire victim

09/01/2000
Michelle Johnson complained that her boss, a police chief, exposed himself, touched her inappropriately and verbally abused her. The employer launched an investigation. Johnson saw the chief as he was …