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Ohio

Attorney general imposes e-mail policy

09/05/2008

In an effort to make a clean break from her office’s scandal-ridden recent history, Ohio Attorney General Nancy Rogers posted a new policy restricting use of office e-mail to work-related business only. Staff was also barred from private text messaging on state-issued cell phones and BlackBerrys …

Duke Energy settles suit

09/05/2008

Duke Energy Corp. has reached a private settlement with John Deeds, a former employee who claimed he was fired in retaliation for questioning millions of dollars in payments that he considered kickbacks to corporate clients …

Woodmere Village settles reverse discrimination suit

09/05/2008

Woodmere Village in northeastern Ohio has settled an EEOC lawsuit with two police officers who claimed they were fired because they are white …

Political activity in the workplace: Can you discipline employees?

09/05/2008

The upcoming elections will highlight partisan politics and controversial issues affecting employees. No doubt, your workplace will be the site of some political discussions—and maybe overtly political activity. You need to understand when you can and cannot discipline employees for political activity …

Does docking pay affect FLSA status?

09/05/2008
Q. I recently docked one of my salaried employees’ pay for damage he caused to his company vehicle. My HR director said that by doing so, we might have made the employee eligible for overtime pay. Is this true? …

How long must we retain records?

09/05/2008
Q. How long should I keep employment-related records, such as wage information and personnel files? …

Fee-Basis pay to maintain overtime exemption

09/05/2008
Q. Are there any alternatives to paying employees on a salary basis and having them remain exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act? …

Can we require longer hours?

09/05/2008
Q. We need our employees to work longer shifts to meet current production demands. Some employees have objected because this will interfere with their child care responsibilities. Is it legal for us to do this? …

Can an interviewer ask about drug use?

09/05/2008
Q. I recently asked an applicant whether she used illegal drugs. She told me she understood that employers were not allowed to ask such questions. Is this legal? …

Employee ‘Family & friends’ can now bring EEOC retaliation claims

08/08/2008
Earlier this year, the U. S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, whose decisions apply to Michigan employers, expanded the coverage of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964’s anti-retaliation provision when it held that the fiancé of an employee who made a complaint to the EEOC could bring a retaliation action when he was discharged by the employer …