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

North Carolina

No job opening? Employee can’t claim bias

02/26/2009

The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers North Carolina employers, has issued a no-nonsense opinion full of common sense: Employees can’t bring an employment discrimination lawsuit because they didn’t get a job that doesn’t exist or for which applicants aren’t being sought.

Know what constitutes insubordination

02/26/2009

Employees who oppose their employer’s illegal or discriminatory conduct are protected from retaliation. But that doesn’t mean such employees have the right to be insubordinate, rude and nasty. There’s a fine line between voicing opposition to a practice and challenging superiors in an insolent way.

Offer legit ‘fresh-start’ transfer without fear of being punished for retaliation

02/26/2009

Sometimes, an employee isn’t a good fit for a particular job assignment and becomes frustrated that things aren’t working out. Employers that transfer such an employee with the genuine intent to give her a fresh start in another department probably won’t run into legal hot water.

Use promotion committee—minus offending boss—to correct possible past discrimination

02/26/2009

It can happen at the best of companies: You discover that a careless supervisor or manager made some comments that might be interpreted as prejudiced. When that happens, you know to discipline that employee. But what do you do when the employee who was the target of the comments is up for promotion?

Harassment alert! Negligent hiring/supervision law applies

02/26/2009

Employers that ignore their employees’ sexual harassment pleas—beware. Not only may you be liable under Title VII, but you may be liable under state law, too. And that can mean huge damage awards far beyond federal caps.

Worth your while: Proactive review of wage-and-hour issues

02/26/2009

Nothing—not even a sexual harassment suit or EEOC investigation—will consume as much of your time as a class-action overtime lawsuit. Your best bet: Thoroughly review your pay practices to make sure you aren’t making any wage-and-hour mistakes. Do that before the litigation hits.

2 N.C. companies make Fortune ‘best to work for’ list

02/26/2009

Two companies headquartered in North Carolina have made Fortune magazine’s 2009 “100 Best Companies to Work For” list. The two, both headquartered in Cary, are engineering firm Kimley-Horn & Associates and software giant SAS.

N.C. appeals court ruling: Noncompete clause goes too far

02/26/2009
Login Email Address Password I forgot my password To continue reading this page, become an HR Specialist Premium Plus member today! Your subscription includes: Ask the Attorney: Answers to your HR legal questions Compliance Guidance: Access to 7,000 HR news articles, updated daily, sorted by state State-by-State: Summaries of HR laws in all 50 states […]

Moody’s predicts N.C. job loss in 2009, recovery in 2010

02/26/2009

Economists at Moody’s predict North Carolina jobs will fall by 1.6% in 2009. The steepest declines are anticipated in construction (down 9.3%), manufacturing (– 4.3%) and financial activities (– 2.9%). There will be a few bright spots in the state’s job market, though.

Poor worker training cited in case involving heat death

02/26/2009

In 2004, two men were fixing a pump at a plant when one of them complained of being hot and not feeling well. The other man took him to his car and returned to work on the pump. When he checked on the ill man 45 minutes later, he found him slumped over the wheel. He had died.