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New York

Everyday rudeness and backbiting doesn’t necessarily mean hostile work environment

03/13/2014

When people are thrown to­­gether in the workplace, per­­s­­onality conflicts are almost inevitable. But unless there’s seriously abusive behavior or particularly offensive language, an occasionally rude workplace won’t be labeled hostile by a court.

Long history of misconduct? Document every step of disciplinary process

03/13/2014

When an employee is fired, he or she has nothing to lose by suing you. That’s why you should assume that every employee will do just that and prepare accordingly. That includes making sure you have documented every step of the disciplinary process, providing details and dates.

9 New York firms make Fortune’s ‘best’ list

03/13/2014
Fortune magazine has listed its 100 best companies to work for in 2014 and nine New York firms made the cut, with two companies—grocery store Wegmans, and investment bank Gold­­man Sachs—cracking the top 50.

OK to fire despite isolated ‘old man’ comment

03/13/2014
Some employees joke around by calling other workers “old man” or making other insensitive ageist comments. You should certainly discourage comments that diminish employees, customers or others based on their protected characteristics. However, a few isolated incidents won’t mean a lost lawsuit if you also make sure that you terminate employees only for legitimate business reasons.

Base pay on the job–not the job description

03/12/2014
The Equal Pay Act makes it illegal to set separate rates of pay for men and women doing the same work. But some employers don’t understand that job titles and job descriptions don’t matter much when it comes to comparing jobs.

Discrimination hotline won’t protect against lawsuit

02/20/2014
Merely creating a hotline for reporting discrimination isn’t enough to protect an employer against harassment and discrimination claims.

Light duty and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act

02/18/2014
Sometimes, it may be appropriate to offer light-duty assignments to pregnant employees. However, there’s a right way and a wrong way to handle those accommodations.

N.Y. wage-and-hour news you can use: annual notices & tax credits

02/18/2014
Now that 2014 is in full swing, it’s time to make sure your organization is up to speed on new wage-and-hour obligations and prepare to take advantage of a new tax incentive for hiring student workers.

Corning nursing home settles GINA, ADA lawsuit

02/18/2014
The Founders Pavilion nursing home in Corning will pay $370,000 to settle charges it violated the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act and the ADA. The problem: The facility asked job applicants about their family medical histories during post-offer, pre-employment physical examinations.

WHD rolls two sushi restaurants for OT violations

02/18/2014
Two Nassau County sushi restaurants will pay $261,887 in back wages and liquidated damages to 70 workers following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division.