• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly
Connection failed: SQLSTATE[HY000] [2002] No such file or directory

North Carolina

Steakhouse staff worked to the bone for lean pay

02/01/2013
Raleigh’s Brasa Brazilian Steak-house will pay $68,482 to 18 workers after the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division found the steakhouse failed to pay workers overtime when they worked more than 40 hours in a week.

When religious accommodation costs too much

02/01/2013

Employees who must miss work because of religious restrictions are entitled to reasonable accommodations. While employers must look for sensible solutions, that doesn’t mean they have to redesign their workforce, buy additional equipment or otherwise change the way they do business if it would be too expensive or cumbersome.

Track all discipline and check for fairness

01/13/2013
Do you monitor all discipline and make sure employees who break the same rule suffer similar consequences? It’s the best way to win discrimination lawsuits.

Same incident, two punishments: Be able to explain why one was harsher

01/13/2013
You don’t always have to punish two employees who break the same rule exactly alike. Just make sure you explain the difference for the record. That kind of documentation will prove crucial if an employee decides to sue.

Be prepared to explain bonus before discharge

01/13/2013
Do you hand out periodic bonuses to employees? If so, be sure you can clearly describe how you calculate bonuses and what em­­ployees need to do to receive one. If you must later terminate an employee—and claim poor performance was the reason—she may point to the bonus as proof you fired her for discriminatory reasons.

5 N.C. firms ace awards for gay-friendly practices

12/19/2012
Each year, the Human Rights Campaign rates Fortune 500 companies on how well they treat lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender em­­ployees. Five North Carolina firms couldn’t have scored any better, earning perfect 100s from the gay-rights advocacy organization.

Orthopedic manufacturer settles religious bias suit

12/19/2012
Gaylord Inc. of Wadesboro will pay $55,000 to settle a former em­­ployee’s religious discrimination lawsuit against the orthopedic and sports medicine products manufacturing company.

Lumbee Tribe faces EEOC sexual harassment charges

12/19/2012
A former employee of the Lumbee Indian Tribe is suing the tribe, alleging her former boss sexually assaulted her and subjected her to severe sexual harassment.

Employee representing herself can always change mind

12/19/2012
Employees who act as their own lawyers often miss important court deadlines. If that happens, don’t jump for joy just yet. The employee may still hire an attorney who will probably know how to get parts of the lawsuit revived in the interest of fairness.

Lunchtime injury qualifies for workers’ comp benefits

12/19/2012
Employees injured on site during breaks are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits.