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Ohio

Misclassification could cost Dayton cable firm $1.6 million

11/07/2011
A federal judge has sided with the U.S. Department of Labor in an employee misclassification lawsuit against Fairfield-based Cascom, which lays fiber-optic lines for Time Warner Cable in the Dayton area.

Death puts Marietta company on OSHA watch list

11/07/2011

A horrific accident that killed a worker in March 2011 has led to $186,300 in fines for Refuse Recycling, based in Marietta. Inspectors from OSHA were called to the plant after an employee was found dead inside a rotating drum that screens recyclables from other refuse.

Court blocks free appeal of frivolous claim

11/07/2011
When disgruntled applicants or former employees file frivolous lawsuits, they often act as their own lawyers in court. So-called pro se litigants can’t go far unless the court agrees to waive their court fees. To stop meritless cases from clogging up appeals dockets, more and more federal judges are refusing to waive court fees.

Your rules apply–even for employees preparing to sue

11/07/2011
Here’s another reason to have privacy and confidentiality rules: Em­­ployees who violate those rules in order to gather evidence for a lawsuit they have filed can be disciplined.

Prepare for lawsuit if you change hiring criteria in middle of selection process

11/07/2011
Employers, beware! If you ignore your posted job requirements to hire one applicant when another candidate meets all the minimum qualifications, you may find yourself being sued. Courts may conclude that you “pre-rejected” the most qualified candidate.

It’s up to you to ensure employees know how much FMLA leave they have left

11/07/2011
Employers can use several methods to calculate FMLA leave, including some that can get complicated. That’s one reason FMLA regulations require em­­ployers to let employees know how much leave they are entitled to.

Watch those pension funds–or watch the feds swoop in

11/07/2011

The federal government is suing the owners of a Columbus printing company and their pension plan administrator, claiming they all failed to execute their fiduciary responsibilities to employees. At issue is more than $400,000 in funds missing from two pension accounts set up for employees of Clark Graphics.

Don’t fret needlessly over being right

11/07/2011

Management doesn’t need to base its decisions on proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Courts generally uphold termination decisions, even if it turns out they were based on faulty information. Simply put, as long as an employer reasonably believes it’s firing an em­­ployee for a good reason, it doesn’t have to be right.

Check past reviews of all who seek promotion

11/07/2011
When a supervisor already knows who he wants to promote—and has also identified someone he definitely doesn’t want to get the job—he just may concoct a reason to explain his choice. But if that reason doesn’t jibe with the rejected em­­ployee’s past evaluations, trouble lurks.

Muslim DA’s bias suit against Youngstown moves on

10/12/2011
A federal judge has refused to dismiss a Youngstown prosecutor’s religious discrimination suit against the city. Basil Ally complained to the Ohio Civil Rights Commission and then sued, alleging he had been discriminated against because of his Muslim faith. His lawsuit claims co-workers sometimes teased him, suggesting that he was connected to Islamic terrorists.