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Tear down accommodation hurdles; don’t make worker formally apply

08/01/2002
When Howard Shapiro, a 15-year city employee, became disabled in a work accident, he couldn’t continue his paramedic job. So he made repeated requests for accommodations and identified several vacant positions …

Draw line on harassing behavior, even against top company execs

08/01/2002
Over four months, a female co-worker slipped nearly a dozen sexually explicit pamphlets into the office mailbox of a company vice president, including one titled “Great Sex for Men over 50” …

Workers’ comp can cover on-the-job fights

08/01/2002
Robert LeeGrand, an African-American brick mason’s assistant, got mad when a co-worker criticized his work and made a racist remark. When LeeGrand confronted him, the co-worker threw bricks, which caused LeeGrand …

Check the fine print on legal-liability insurance

08/01/2002
When a former executive sued his company for defamation, the company turned to its umbrella liability insurance policy to cover the defense cost. But the insurer refused and a federal appeals …

More companies opt for mandatory vacation, but is it legal?

08/01/2002
Continuing a cost-cutting step they took last year, some companies, especially tech firms, are again asking employees to take mandatory vacations. The forced time off, paid or not, is catching …

To beat the union heat, avoid 7 deadly management sins

08/01/2002
Why do some employers manage to operate their company in a union-free environment, while others in the same industry and city have a unionized work force? The reasons fit into …

English-Only Rule Is Legal in Rare Circumstances

08/01/2002

Q. Is it legal for our company to require employees to speak only English at work? —B.K., Idaho

Employ workers outside America? Two rulings boost your legal risks

07/01/2002
1. EU harassment rule. Employers in Europe will need to do a better job of preventing sexual harassment. Reason: A newly approved European Union (EU) directive, which takes effect in 2005, …

High court ruling forces longer retention of records

07/01/2002
In another ruling last month, the Supreme Court said employees in some cases can file discrimination charges even if allegations fall outside the statute of limitations. Under Title VII, employees …

I-9 form: Feds give mixed message about which IDs you can accept

07/01/2002
When filing Employment Eligibility Verification forms (I-9s) for new hires, you may be unknowingly accepting documents that no longer are allowed. Reason: The I-9 version that em-ployers are given and …