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Pennsylvania

Immigration crackdown targets employers—not illegal workers

05/27/2009

Fulfilling a pledge President Obama made during the 2008 campaign, the Department of Homeland Security has announced its immigration enforcement activities will target employers that hire undocumented workers instead of focusing on arresting and deporting the workers.

Uniform rules: Police can ban religious garb if there’s a public-policy reason

05/27/2009

Police and similar public safety departments can forbid their officers and other uniformed personnel from wearing religious symbols and garb if they provide the right ground rules. But it’s a thorny issue that’s worth giving plenty of consideration.

Look for hiring trends that could signal bias—you might just avoid a huge jury award

05/27/2009

Most applicants who aren’t hired just go away. But sometimes they don’t—and then it’s time to watch out! A rejected applicant can play the discrimination card, possibly costing you an expensive jury award. That’s one good reason to check your hiring practices for hidden bias.

Offering help at interview doesn’t mean you regard applicant as disabled

05/27/2009

As an employer, you’ve probably learned to ignore apparent disabilities because you could end up violating the ADA if you inquire about disabilities. That doesn’t mean, however, that you’ll run afoul of the law if you do something as simple as offering assistance to an applicant who is having trouble navigating stairs or getting on the elevator.

Pennsylvania has highest state corporate tax rates

05/27/2009

The Keystone State ranked 29th out of 51 jurisdictions in the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council’s (SBEC) Business Tax Index for 2009, a score that would have been better if it didn’t have the nation’s highest state corporate tax rate.

Receive FMLA notice? Don’t assume ineligibility

05/27/2009

You need a clear policy on handling employees who call in sick. That helps ensure you don’t miss a potential FMLA request. Remember, employees don’t have to ask for FMLA leave by name.

Nothing to sneeze at: Reach of wrongful-discharge law limited

05/27/2009

Pennsylvania common law protects employees from discharges that violate public policy, but what violates public policy isn’t defined. Courts must therefore decide what the term means.

Fired for using ‘N-word’, news anchor sues

05/27/2009

WTXF TV news anchor Tom Burlington has sued his former employer claiming discrimination after he was fired for using the “N-word” in an editorial meeting called at the Philadelphia station to discuss a news story about a mock funeral to bury the “N-word.”

Federal employment bias claims may be subject to grievance arbitration

05/27/2009

On April 1, the U.S. Supreme Court held that arbitration provisions in collective-bargaining agreements that clearly and unmistakably require arbitration of Age Discrimination in Employment (ADEA) claims are enforceable.

How can we terminate a morale buster who is in ill health?

05/27/2009

Q. We have an employee who was out six months with a heart condition. He has had performance problems on and off since then. Now we face a morale issue because he constantly talks about his illness, and his co-workers feel he isn’t performing. If we terminate him, what is the best approach?