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New York

Was color an issue in search for ‘Abercrombie look’?

11/07/2008

Dulzia Burchette, a black former saleswoman for Abercrombie & Fitch, is suing the company, claiming racial discrimination and harassment. Burchette says she was harassed when she came to work at the company’s Fifth Avenue store with blonde highlights in her hair.

New York increases layoff notice requirement to 90 days

11/07/2008

Gov. David Paterson has signed into law the State Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, which increases employers’ obligations to notify workers of upcoming layoffs. The new state law is tougher on employers than the federal WARN Act.

Associated Supermarket execs charged with wage violations

11/07/2008

Two Brooklyn grocers have been charged with underpaying workers by more than $300,000 and falsifying business records. Bienvenido Nuñez, president of the Associated Supermarket in Bushwick, and Martin Duran, vice president, allegedly paid no wages to baggers, who worked for tips …

Class-action suit alleges gender bias at Sterling Jewelers

11/07/2008

The EEOC has filed a class-action gender discrimination lawsuit against Sterling Jewelers in U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York in Buffalo.

State looks to tax collection to fill empty coffers

11/07/2008

Several states, including New York, Massachusetts, California and Illinois, are cracking down on sales tax cheats to help fill state coffers drained by the tanking economy, the Associated Press recently reported.

Can I fire an employee who is likely to develop a serious disease?

11/07/2008

Q. I own my own business, and controlling my insurance costs is my biggest challenge. Recently, I learned one of my employees has been tested and has the genetic makeup likely to develop into a very serious illness. While I feel sorry for the employee, this disease is likely to cost our company hundreds of thousands of dollars. Can I fire the employee?

What can we do if former employee might have taken info to competitor?

11/07/2008

Q. Recently, an employee left our company to join a competitor. When we took a look at his computer, we found deleted e-mails and files indicating he downloaded some valuable information about our customers. We suspect he transferred it to our competitor. He was an at-will employee and we had no employment agreement with him. Is there anything we can do about this?

What should we do if an employee refuses to cooperate during an investigation?

11/07/2008

Q. We are investigating a sexual harassment complaint. One of the employees accused of wrongdoing refuses to be interviewed without his lawyer. I know the attorney has no right to be there, but what are my options?

Employment law in the Obama administration: What to expect

11/06/2008

With a Democratic-controlled Congress, President-elect Barack Obama will likely push for these employment law priorities …

Holiday parties: Don’t let best of times become worst of times

10/07/2008

By exerting proper control over your holiday party this year, you can reduce everyone’s worries concerning the annual fete. Most important, careful planning will help your company avoid lawsuits as you ring in the New Year.