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Employment Law

Don’t tolerate bully boss–but don’t fear bias lawsuit if he’s awful to everyone

11/19/2013
While it’s unpleasant and unproductive, having a supervisor scream at subordinates isn’t grounds for a race discrimination lawsuit if he never uses racially offensive words.

Immediately apply your policy to stop harassment before it escalates

11/19/2013
An effective sexual harassment policy that includes prompt investigation of any complaints of physical touching is key to prevailing in a sexual harassment lawsuit. What should your policy include?

Found misclassification problem? Fix it fast

11/19/2013
Avoid costly litigation by reviewing how you classify your em­­ployees as exempt or nonexempt. If you discover you have made a mistake, fix it right away. You’ll cut your misclassification liability.

Supremes weigh: Pay just to change clothes?

11/19/2013
The U.S. Supreme Court on Nov. 4 heard oral arguments in the first of several employment law cases to be considered in the 2013-2014 term, this one hinging on the question: What does it mean to change clothes?

11th Commandment: If employee truly believes, thou shalt accommodate

11/18/2013
Federal law says that as long as an employee’s religious belief is “sincerely held”—which is almost impossible to quantify—employers have to look for a reasonable accommodation that meets the em­­ployee’s needs.

Supreme Court to hear variety of employment-related cases

11/14/2013
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a number of cases during the 2013-14 term that could affect employers.

Facebook posts earn Walmart employee the ax

11/14/2013
Walmart managers at the chain’s Hamburg store in suburban Buffalo moved quickly after the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations alerted it to anti-Islamic Facebook postings by one of its assistant managers.

Requiring foreign language skills isn’t discrimination

11/14/2013
Do you need some employees to speak a foreign language? Don’t worry that requiring fluency could be viewed as discrimination.

Don’t let preconceived notions of disabled employee’s capabilities affect reinstatement

11/14/2013
Some jobs are physically difficult to perform, especially for someone with a disability. But if a disabled employee’s doctors believe she can perform the essential functions, let her try. Otherwise, you face a potential disability discrimination lawsuit.

Add failure-to-hire claims to list of employment law issues involving internships

11/14/2013
You have probably read that un­­paid interns are suing ­employers for unpaid minimum wages and winning. Now they’re pushing the envelope even further, trying to get federal courts to hold employers liable for sexual harassment and hostile environment claims, too.