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Employment Law

Remind managers: Employment decisions based on religion aren’t kosher–or legal

11/05/2014
Here’s a reminder for the next time you provide harassment and discrimination training: Tell managers and supervisors that they should never comment on an em­­ployee’s religious preferences or make any assignments based on notions about certain religions.

Who would have thought an attorney might sue?

11/05/2014
A Manhattan firm called Strategic Legal Solutions didn’t do itself any favors when it withdrew an employment offer once it learned the applicant’s age.

Warn bosses: You could be liable for harassment

11/05/2014

Ordinarily, if a subordinate sues for alleged sexual harassment under Title VII, there is no personal liability for that supervisor. However, if the employer is a public agency or governmental unit, the rules change.

The space between: How applicants age themselves

11/05/2014
Do you type two spaces after a period? If so, your résumé may be destined for the wastebasket. According to career counselor Marc Miller, adding that extra space is a résumé mistake that brands an applicant as Too Old.

Is ‘safety concern’ a legal reason not to hire a woman?

11/05/2014
When a Virginia supermarket manager rejected a woman for a van driver position, he pointed to safety as the reason—female drivers are more vulnerable to assaults.

What religious accommodations must I provide?

11/03/2014
Q. I have more than 100 employees, and they belong to many different religious faiths. Many of them devoutly adhere to daily rituals they hold sacred. What accommodations, if any, must I provide for their religious practices?

Is it OK to substitute paid leave for FMLA leave?

11/03/2014
Q. May an employee substitute paid leave for unpaid FMLA leave?

How far do we have to go to provide work when an employee returns from FMLA leave?

11/03/2014
Q. I am the owner of a security services company. One of my rank-and-file employees is currently on leave from work under the FMLA. Due to an economic downturn, I have been forced to reduce the number of shifts available to my employees. If there is no longer a shift available for this employee when he returns from FMLA leave, am I be required to find or create a shift for him?

EEOC: BNSF violated ADA

11/03/2014
Fort Worth-based BNSF Railroad faces charges it withdrew a conditional job offer to an applicant for a security position.

Employer controls which accommodation to offer

11/03/2014
Some disabled employees seem to think that the accommodation they prefer must be the one they get as long as it meets the definition of “reasonable.” They’re wrong.