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Idaho

Sometimes you can require repayment out of last check

02/26/2014

Do you offer a store credit card to your employees? If so, you likely want any balance due repaid if the employee quits or is fired. You may be able to get the employee’s agreement to repay the balance on termination out of his or her vacation or sick account balance.

Be alert for health, safety whistle-blowing

01/24/2014

Here’s a warning for federal government employers: Just about any internal complaint about agency wrongdoing may be protected activity under the Whistleblower Protection Act (WPA).

9th Circuit upholds CDIR’s apprenticeship crackdown

10/29/2013

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the California Department of Industrial Relations (CDIR) did not violate U.S. Department of Labor apprenticeship rules when it ordered three contractors to remove from public works projects apprentices who were enrolled in a federally run program.

Using prison labor? You’re not an ’employer’ under ADA

10/29/2013

Absent limited circumstances, a private employer using prison labor probably isn’t required to provide reasonable accommodations under the ADA.

Court sends class action back to drawing board

09/27/2013

In 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court considered a class action against Walmart that included over a million employees who claimed sex discrimination. The court said the employees didn’t have enough in common to band together in one lawsuit (Walmart v. Dukes). Now federal courts are doing the same with much smaller class-action lawsuits—good news for employers.

Police officer’s report of abuse is protected speech

09/27/2013

Public employees can’t be punished for speaking out on matters of public importance, as long as doing so isn’t an official part of their jobs. Until now, it has been an open question whether a police officer’s complaints about police brutality were protected.

No workers’ comp for sloppy-drunk employee

08/22/2013

A worker who drank himself silly at work, fell and hit his head has lost his workers’ compensation claim.

Court cuts slack for bankrupt employee, declines to enforce traditional litigation rules

08/22/2013

Employees who lose their jobs may not understand that if filing for bankruptcy, they must list any potential litigation claim as an asset. Federal courts have dismissed even obviously valid employment discrimination lawsuits when employees failed to disclose such claims in their bankruptcy paperwork. That may no longer continue, if this recent case is any indication.

State-by-State Chart on Final-Pay Laws

08/14/2013

This chart summarizes the states’ final-pay laws. States without laws have been omitted.

Use documentation to show insubordination

08/01/2013

Some employees will never be happy and seem to do everything possible to interfere with a normal, well-functioning workplace. When that’s the case, don’t hesitate to terminate the disruptive worker. Just make sure you document her shortcomings.