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Ohio

Social networking is here to stay; it’s time to amend your e-policies

07/06/2009

According to a recent survey, 22% of employees say they use some form of social networking five or more times per week, and 15% admit they access social media while at work for personal reasons. Yet, only 22% of companies have a formal policy that guides employees in how they can use social networking at work. Here are seven key questions to ask when drafting a social networking policy for your workplace.

Can we terminate a no-call/no-show employee?

07/06/2009

Q. We have an employee who has missed the last several days of work without notice. We also have a policy that says employees who miss three days without notice are deemed to have resigned and are terminated. Are there any legal risks associated with terminating this employee?

When can we legally dock employees’ salaries?

07/06/2009

Q. Under what circumstances can my business make deductions from an exempt employee’s weekly salary without putting the employee’s FLSA exemption in jeopardy?

Protecting computers from ex-employees

07/06/2009

Q. Is there anything I can do to deter employees from stealing or damaging computers after a termination?

Congress considers legislation mandating paid sick leave

06/26/2009

Millions of employees would be eligible for seven days of paid sick leave annually if the Healthy Families Act, recently introduced in Congress, becomes law. A coalition of HR and business groups vowed to fight the bill, saying it would “force companies to increase layoffs, reduce wages and cut important employee benefits.”

Better heed Ledbetter: Audit pay policies to ensure equal pay

06/16/2009

Under the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, each paycheck that unfairly pays a worker less than it should is a discriminatory act. Now is the time to audit your pay policies. Involve your attorneys—to take advantage of attorney-client privilege protection while you correct any discriminatory practices you uncover.

Labor Department seeks more funds to boost enforcement

06/08/2009

U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis’ budget request to Congress includes funds to hire nearly 1,000 new employees, 670 of whom will be investigators. The plan calls for 200 more wage-and-hour Labor investigators and 160 additional OSHA gumshoes.

Lawsuits on the rise: Audit your policies to prevent litigation

06/05/2009

The economy is a shambles, and employers are doing everything they can to stay in business. That includes terminations, salary and wage cuts and temporary furloughs. Nearly every one of those moves carries litigation risk. Have your company’s personnel policies and practices had a checkup lately? A comprehensive audit is one of the easiest ways to spot problems.

Audit firings to guard against bias suits

06/05/2009

Employees who lose their jobs have very little to lose by making an appointment with an employment lawyer. To prepare for possible surprises, you should do what a good employment attorney does—look for hidden discrimination in your workplace.

Charitable donation OK in lieu of union dues

06/05/2009

Some employees’ religious beliefs forbid them to belong to labor unions. Because, like employers, unions may not discriminate on the basis of religion, they must make reasonable accommodations for employees who object to any of their pay going to the union.