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Pennsylvania

Should employees get copies of reviews?

01/12/2015
Q. We usually don’t allow our employees to read or comment on their annual evaluations. Instead, we perform a performance review one-on-one and have them sign an acknowledgment that they have discussed their performance. Do we need to provide them with a copy of the evaluation?

OK to monitor email without consent?

12/23/2014
Q. We suspect someone is conducting inappropriate business using their work email. Is it illegal for us to monitor their email without their consent?

Why bother with job descriptions?

12/23/2014
Q. Are employers required to have job descriptions for every position within the organization?

Pay up! Wage-and-hour issues take center stage in 2015

12/23/2014
Wage-and-hour issues could take center stage in 2015, with federal, state and local legislative battles looming over increases to the minimum wage, more wage-and-hour litigation and proposed regulations that could dramatically narrow the overtime exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Disabled SSA employees settle for $6.6 million

12/23/2014
Current and former employees of the Social Security Administration will receive $6.6 million to settle charges the agency failed to accommodate disabled workers and denied them promotions. A federal judge in Baltimore has given preliminary approval to the deal.

Comments on accent aren’t automatically discrimination

12/23/2014
Some people who speak English well still have thick accents. Asking for clarification or inquiring about the accent isn’t national-origin discrimination, as long as it’s not disrespectful.

No commission payment? Unemployment comp instead

12/23/2014
An employee who doesn’t receive the commissions he believes he is owed can quit and still receive unemployment compensation.

Aim high! You can strive for a more diverse workplace without breaking the law

12/23/2014
As long as you consider all candidates on their individual merits and not solely because of what sex, age, race or ethnicity they belong to, your efforts at diversity won’t get you in trouble.

HR staffing: Those who handle discipline shouldn’t have access to FMLA info

12/23/2014

If you have a large enough HR office, it makes good sense to keep the FMLA request and approval process separate from the disciplinary process. Doing so ensures that someone with expertise in FMLA administration handles the entire process. But there is an additional benefit.

More than a matter of style: Grooming rules can differ based on sex

12/23/2014
If you have a dress and grooming policy that sets out different rules for men and women, you aren’t necessarily setting yourself up for a sex discrimination lawsuit.