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

North Carolina

After surgery, look for ways to accommodate employee

07/25/2012

Make sure your supervisors know they must consider post-surgery ADA accommodations and should forward such requests to HR. Under no circumstances should an employee be summarily fired just be­­cause she’s used up her FMLA leave and still needs help during recovery.

Beware jumping the gun when firing injured worker

07/25/2012
Before terminating an employee who has racked up absences that may or may not be related to a workplace in­­jury, make sure she has had a chance to show that the injury contributed to her attendance problems.

Don’t expect quick dismissal just because employee has decided to act as his own attorney

07/25/2012
When an employee represents himself, prepare for a fight—even if you know the claim doesn’t have much merit. That’s because courts don’t like to toss out cases without giving every benefit of the doubt to employees who can’t find attorneys to represent them.

Federal court to decide: Does firing a pregnant employee violate public policy in N.C.?

07/25/2012
A federal court has said it will soon decide a case that may make pregnancy discrimination illegal in North Carolina. At issue is whether North Carolina employers are liable for wrongful discharge if they fire a pregnant woman from her at-will job.

When employee requests religious accommodation, be sure to consider all possible options

07/25/2012
When an employee approaches you about a religious need that requires accommodation, make sure you consider all the details. Don’t rely on a standard response.

Document handling of vague harassment complaint

07/25/2012
Some employees who are being sexually harassed may be embarrassed or reluctant to talk about it. Rather than come out and say what happened, they beat around the bush. Smart employers document how they handle vague complaints—and take them just as seriously as other complaints.

OK to discipline, even after harassment claim

07/01/2012

When employees face progressive discipline and think they might be fired, they sometimes suddenly start complaining about alleged sexual harassment. The underlying reason may be legitimate—or it may just be a ploy to stop discipline. It doesn’t mean all discipline has to be put on hold.

How to respond to an order to garnish an employee’s wages

06/27/2012
Record numbers of bankruptcies and foreclosures have been making a big splash in the news for the past four years. However, a quieter phenomenon—one fraught with traps for unwary employers—is a concurrent and growing trend of court-ordered or government-issued wage garnishments.

Charlotte Cintas becomes NCOSHA safety ‘Star’

06/27/2012

Cintas Uniform’s Charlotte facility has been named recipient of the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Voluntary Protection Program’s Star Award. It’s North Carolina’s highest recognition for exemplary occupational safety and health practices.

Courts want details–even from pro se litigants

06/27/2012

When employees represent themselves in court, their court documents are often woefully short on specifics. More courts are getting aggressive, quickly tossing out these pro se cases. That’s good news for employers.