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Employment Law

Does FMLA cover colds and flu? It’s not a question to sneeze at

12/10/2013
When Congress drafted the FMLA more than 20 years ago, colds and the flu were frequently mentioned as examples of illnesses not meant to be covered. However, FMLA regulations do provide for exceptions if an employee’s influenza is particularly serious, involves complications or requires hospitalization or continued medical treatment.

How to pay if the weather outside is frightful

12/10/2013

When harsh winter weather bumps up against the FLSA, the result can be a blizzard of pay problems for you. Employees often come in late, leave early or miss work altogether when the weather is bad. How should you count their hours—and their pay?

Trade Secrets

12/06/2013

HR Law 101: There are two important reasons you need to protect your company’s trade secrets: (1) You make it less likely that confidential information will be misappropriated. (2) It will be easier for you to seek relief in court if your secrets are stolen …  

         

Toys ‘R’ Us to pay for disability bias during hiring process

12/05/2013
Just in time for the holidays, Toys ‘R’ Us will be giving a deaf Maryland woman $35,000 to settle an EEOC complaint that store managers discriminated against her during the hiring process.

Maybe she should have tried ‘Jeopardy’ instead

12/03/2013

A former postal worker has been sentenced to three years of probation after pleading guilty to workers’ compensation fraud. Her problems began in 2009 when co-workers spotted her looking quite fit while competing on television’s “The Price is Right” game show …

Should we use arbitration agreements to help resolve employment disputes?

12/03/2013
In California, companies adopting arbitration agreements face a number of difficult decisions in crafting their agreements to ensure that they will be enforceable while also maximizing the benefits of arbitration.

2 employment law bills fall to Gov. Brown’s veto pen

12/03/2013
Gov. Jerry Brown recently vetoed two laws affecting employee rights.

New Calif. wage-and-hour legislation increases employer obligations

12/03/2013
California employers must begin complying with several new wage-and-hour laws enacted in recent weeks. Recent legislation provides overtime pay for domestic workers, mandates more pay for missed “cool-down” breaks, increases damages for minimum wage violations and adds other employer obligations.

Ignore an overtime lawsuit, hand a win to workers

12/03/2013
Can’t convince management that they shouldn’t ignore an overtime lawsuit? Share this horror story.

When contesting timeliness of lawsuit filing, remember to factor in weekends, holidays

12/03/2013

Employees have just 90 days from the date they receive an EEOC right-to-sue letter to file a federal discrimination lawsuit. However, 90 days isn’t as straightforward a deadline as it might seem.