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

Employment Law

Warn bosses: Don’t punish for workers’ comp

02/19/2014

Minnesota workers injured on the job are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits and can’t be punished for asking for or receiving those benefits. Remind supervisors and ­managers that it’s their job to manage the work­­force despite injuries and that threatening or actually punishing workers who apply for benefits is illegal.

Argument in the workplace isn’t harassment

02/19/2014
Sometimes, employees lose their tempers. That’s unfortunate and you certainly should discourage it. But a loud or tumultuous argument between a supervisor and a subordinate isn’t necessarily grounds for a harassment lawsuit.

Light duty and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act

02/18/2014
Sometimes, it may be appropriate to offer light-duty assignments to pregnant employees. However, there’s a right way and a wrong way to handle those accommodations.

N.Y. wage-and-hour news you can use: annual notices & tax credits

02/18/2014
Now that 2014 is in full swing, it’s time to make sure your organization is up to speed on new wage-and-hour obligations and prepare to take advantage of a new tax incentive for hiring student workers.

Corning nursing home settles GINA, ADA lawsuit

02/18/2014
The Founders Pavilion nursing home in Corning will pay $370,000 to settle charges it violated the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act and the ADA. The problem: The facility asked job applicants about their family medical histories during post-offer, pre-employment physical examinations.

Bad bosses? Probably. Were they racist? No

02/18/2014
A federal judge has dismissed race discrimination charges against the New York Post newspaper. While the judge agreed that two black reporters who sued experienced “a raucous work environment” in which bosses “yelled and cursed at reporters,” they were treated no differently than co-workers who aren’t black.

Harassment over interracial relationship spells big trouble

02/18/2014
Don’t let biased notions of who can marry whom poison your workplace.

Don’t let manager’s attitude taint new mom’s career

02/18/2014
Some managers don’t think mothers-to-be are serious about their work. That attitude can spell trouble for an employee’s future opportunities in subtle ways. Don’t let it happen.

EEOC can’t sue over nationwide discrimination unless it first investigates

02/18/2014

Employers with locations in multiple states that find themselves responding to an EEOC discrimination complaint sometimes fear the agency won’t limit its investigation to a single complaint or two. Instead, they worry the commission might conduct a wide-ranging investigation and sue over so-called “pattern-and-practices” discrimination, alleging companywide bias.

Obama: Higher minimum for fed contractors’ employees

02/18/2014
President Obama plans to issue an executive order requiring federal contractors to pay employees at least $10.10 per hour, starting in 2015.