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Pennsylvania

Erie, Pa. restaurant settles harassment case for $20,000

07/02/2014
Outrageous behavior by a co-owner of Ricardo’s Restaurant in Erie has cost the establishment $20,000. The EEOC reports that it has settled sexual harassment complaints filed by one of the restaurant’s former employees.

In Allentown, who says one vote doesn’t matter?

07/02/2014
A union election at an Allentown company that provides home health care services may have turned on the vote of one person, who arrived too late to cast a ballot.

Temp agency sued for refusing to place HIV-positive worker

07/02/2014
Pittsburgh-based Maxim Healthcare faces a suit from the EEOC after it refused to place an HIV-positive health­­­­care worker at a Veterans Admin­­is­­­­tra­­tion hospital.

Voluntarily quitting, retiring generally blocks litigation

07/02/2014
Offering the option to resign or retire instead of facing an investigation into alleged wrongdoing doesn’t always block a later lawsuit if the employee accepts—but it usually does. Be prepared to show the resignation or retirement was truly voluntary.

Settling wage case? Include confidentiality clause

07/02/2014
Wage-and-hour cases can drag on—and sometimes turn into class-action lawsuits. That’s why settling early may make sense. But settlements can spawn even more lawsuits. To minimize that possibility, consider using a confidentiality clause.

You can insist: Employees waiting on FMLA certification must follow call-in policy

07/02/2014
Employees who have a pending request for FMLA leave and are just waiting for their doctor to provide the required medical certification must still follow call-in rules. Have a clear policy in place so employees understand what is expected before, during and after their FMLA leave request.

Your potential allies in case of a lawsuit: Applicants who turned down a job offer

07/02/2014
Here’s a case that shows how important it is to keep good records of the interview and hiring process. When a rejected applicant sued, an employer ended up having to call in former applicants to whom it had offered jobs but who had turned down the offers. The employer won the case on the strength of those other candidates’ testimony.

OK to demand proof of full health after FMLA

07/02/2014
Qualified employees who take FMLA leave for their own serious health conditions are entitled to return to their old jobs or equivalent ones once their leave is over. But that’s only true if they are fully healed and able to do their jobs.

Respond ASAP to complaints about stereotyping

07/02/2014
You may have read that stray comments aren’t enough to create liability. That’s true. However, when those comments are “pervasive and regular,” it’s another matter. And the line between stray and regular is anything but clear.

Suspect an employee is being harassed? Ask if she wants an investigation

06/11/2014
Some employees may be embarrassed when they experience sex­­ual harassment. They may feel too uncomfortable to come right out and repeat offensive comments they heard. What should HR do?