Training

N.J. Supreme Court sets rules for proving religious discrimination

10/27/2008

The New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled for the first time on the proof employees must offer to make a religion-based hostile work environment claim stick. The case, Cutler v. Dorn, established that New Jersey courts must decide workplace religious discrimination claims using the same legal standards they use in racial and gender discrimination claims.

Slurs, ‘code’ can create hostile environment

10/20/2008

Just one incident of name-calling or behavior that could be interpreted as racist—if sufficiently severe—might be enough to color other incidents in a racist light. And if a complaint leads to court, that may mean the harassed employee could get a chance to show a jury just how unpleasant co-workers made his life.

Must we pay for tryout time?

10/20/2008

Q. I recently heard the phrase “tryout time” and wondered what this phrase meant and how it may be applicable to my workplace …

If you violate FMLA, prepare to pay employee’s attorneys’ fees, too

10/08/2008

Here’s another reason to train everyone on the intricacies of the FMLA: Employees who win even a small amount of damages in FMLA interference cases automatically get their attorneys’ fees paid by their employer. And that can add up to
big bucks …

Policy not enough: Stamp out co-worker harassment or prepare for court

10/06/2008

It takes more than having a written policy to avoid liability for sexual harassment. If you back up your policy with regular training and quickly fix any harassment problems that come to your attention, chances are you won’t be liable unless the harasser was a supervisor and the employee suffered an adverse employment action …

Prepare now for changes resulting from ADA Amendments Act

10/03/2008

On Sept. 25, President Bush signed the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, providing greater protection to disabled employees under the ADA. The amendments, which passed the House and Senate with broad bipartisan support, dramatically expand the class of people who are entitled to protection under the ADA.

Act fast, train when sexual harassment complaints arise

09/26/2008

It takes more than a written policy to avoid liability for sexual harassment. But if you back up your policy with regular training and reminders and quickly fix any harassment problems that come to your attention, chances are you won’t be liable unless the harasser was a supervisor and the employee suffered an adverse employment action …

Give managers a 3-phrase script to respond to harassment complaints

09/23/2008

When one of your employees confides in her manager that she’s being harassed by a co-worker, what will that manager say? Hopefully, it’ll be something more constructive than “Go along with it."

Apprentice forms and paycheck deductions

09/23/2008

Q. One of the positions in our manufacturing company has a formal apprenticeship program. To stay accredited, we must submit monthly reports showing the number of classroom training hours in which each apprentice participates. Submission of these forms is mandatory, and yet every month there are always some apprentices (for whatever reason) who fail to submit their forms. Can we withhold a portion of an apprentice’s paycheck at the end of the month until we receive the training reports? …

DIR orders record fine for heat-related death

09/19/2008

California worker safety regulators fined Merced Farm Labor Contractor a record $262,700 for allegedly violating state regulations that required it to provide shade, water and breaks to its agricultural workers and to train supervisors and employees about how to lower the risk of employees suffering heat-related ailments …