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Employment Law

Health reform: IRS issues new rules on play-or-pay option

03/29/2013
The IRS has released regulations to explain the hefty penalties that covered employers would face under the Affordable Care Act if they fail to offer employee health insurance starting in 2014.

OSHA: Employers are liable for safety of temps, too

03/26/2013
OSHA recently issued a public warning, reminding that “em­­ployers must train all employees, including temporary workers, on the hazards specific to that workplace, before they start.”

DOL builds another OT case against construction firm

03/25/2013
PCM Construction Services has settled DOL charges that it cheated employees out of overtime pay when they worked more than 40 hours in a workweek. The problem: PCM paid nonexempt employees a flat salary regardless of how many hours they put in.

Charlotte security firm sued for same-sex harassment

03/25/2013
Charlotte-based Metro Special Police & Security Services faces EEOC charges that a captain and lieutenant, both men, solicited male security ­officers for sex and forced them to go to gay bars while on duty.

Offended employee must report ongoing harassment

03/25/2013
Employers that discipline employees who make racially offensive comments have done what’s required of them. Unless they hear about a recurrence, it’s safe to assume the problem was solved.

Court refuses to help pro se litigant after EEOC, attorneys reject her case

03/25/2013
Here’s some good news for em­ployers frustrated with former employees who file groundless discrimination lawsuits. Judges are increasingly unwilling to bend over backward to enable lawsuits that look like sure losers by assigning court-appointed attorneys.

Your obligation to accommodate religion begins when employee requests it

03/25/2013

If employees don’t ask for religious accommodations, then there’s no need to worry about special schedules. That’s because your obligation to accommodate religious needs begins when an employee asks for accommodation. If he never requests a schedule change, you don’t need to do anything.

Use consistent approach, interview checklists in hiring process

03/25/2013

Hiring gets harder when a dozen or more applicants meet your minimum requirements. How do you pick the best candidate and reduce the chance of unhappy job-seekers filing discrimination lawsuits? The best approach is an organized one.

Golf firm finds hazard of missing paydays

03/25/2013
The DOL has ordered Charlotte’s Carolina Trail Golf Part­­ners to immediately tee up $758,465 in back wages for 347 workers at seven courses who recently went several weeks without getting paid.

Beware discrimination in contract bidding

03/25/2013
Before rejecting the lowest bid for a public project, many government agencies run background checks on the bidders. It’s critical to be fair and even-handed about those checks, making sure you don’t cherry-pick negative information.