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Pennsylvania

When must we announce new benefit terms?

08/27/2010
Q. Currently, our company pays 70% of employees’ health insurance premiums. Now we need to either decrease the percentage or possibly ask employees to pay the entire premium. How much notice must we give employees before making such a change?

Can a private ‘moral’ issue be the basis for terminating an employee?

08/27/2010
Q. Our church day care center hired a woman who—we later found out—was living with a man who was married to someone else. Our director had a moral problem with this situation and terminated her. I think the termination was illegal. Was it?

Is pay required for after-hours work functions?

08/27/2010
Q. Can we require full-time nonexempt employees to attend work-related functions after regular hours? If so, should this time be compensated?

Know your union posting requirements under Executive Order 13496

08/27/2010
Final rules are now in place for enforcing Executive Order 13496, the White House decree requiring all federal contractors and subcontractors to notify employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act—the primary federal law governing the relationship between private-sector employers and unions.

Apple co-op settles sex and race harassment complaints

08/27/2010
The farmers’ co-op that produces Musselman’s applesauce has settled an EEOC sexual and racial harassment complaint filed by eight Mexican-American women who worked at a factory in Gardners.

Riffed Latrobe staff wants EEOC inquiry: Was bias involved?

08/27/2010

Like many municipalities, the city of Latrobe is struggling with falling revenue. City Manager Rick Stadler attempted to address the city’s shortfall by eliminating six clerical positions, while the Office of City Administration cut two staffers. Now all eight employees have requested an EEOC probe into the terminations to determine if they violated anti-discrimination laws.

Fired for dozing, employee may still get unemployment

08/27/2010
Don’t expect to escape unemployment compensation liability if you fire someone for sleeping on the job. If the reason is an underlying medical condition, the employee may be able to prove she wasn’t fired for cause.

Positive drug test? Get worker to admit drug use, too

08/27/2010
Here’s a step you can take to guard against challenges to your drug-testing procedures. When you tell an employee he failed the test, get him to admit he used drugs. That can ensure he doesn’t receive unemployment compensation.

Pick an FMLA leave calculation method, stick with it–and inform employees

08/27/2010

The FMLA provides 12 weeks of leave per year, but employers have flexibility for determining when those 12 weeks start and end. Choose one of four possible calculations and let employees know which one you’re using. Otherwise, courts will use the one that gives employees the best deal.

Pittsburgh 4th on Forbes list of cities for working moms

08/27/2010

Buoyed by a good education system, low costs and a falling crime rate, Pittsburgh has placed fourth on Forbes magazine’s annual list of the nation’s best cities for working mothers. The rankings were based on a survey that weighed women’s income, cost of living, availability of pediatricians, safety, employment and spending on education.