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Pennsylvania

Handbook calls for civility? Enforce the policy

05/28/2013
Many employers have revised their handbooks to include language requiring all employees to treat one another—as well as customers—with respect. But that doesn’t mean that em­­ployees who feel “disrespected” have grounds for a lawsuit.

OK to vary pay–as long as there’s no sex bias

05/28/2013
Employees are supposed to receive the same compensation for the same work regardless of sex. But that doesn’t mean you can’t pay some men more than some women, even if it’s crystal clear that they’re doing the exact same job. That’s because the Equal Pay Act allows for differences that can be accounted for by any factor other than sex.

Should veiled lawsuit threat affect how we approach disciplining difficult worker?

05/08/2013
Q. We have an employee who has been a constant source of drama and complaints within her department. When her manager sat down with her recently to discuss a confrontation she had with another co-worker, she “casually” mentioned that she has been trying to get pregnant, and “wonders if the stress of the job” could be the reason she has been unable to conceive. What are we supposed to do now?

2 workers broke same rule? Explain different punishments

05/07/2013
Sometimes, two employees who break the same rule don’t deserve exactly the same punishment. But employers must make sure they can explain the difference.

Is our ‘working supervisor’ properly classified?

04/25/2013
Q. We have an hourly worker who oversees both the maintenance and housekeeping departments and supervises two employees. In this job, he has the authority to hire and fire. However, he is also a “working” supervisor who performs maintenance in and around the property. Can his status be changed to salary/exempt?

Should I register for online access so I can monitor employee’s social media activity?

04/25/2013
Q. An employee has brought to my attention that another employee seems to be spending much of the workday posting to a social media site … Apparently, the website doesn’t require being someone’s “friend” to see their social media activity. Is it OK if I sign up with the site to monitor his use?

From workers’ comp to part time: Can we reduce employee’s leave benefits?

04/25/2013
Q. We have an employee who was out on workers’ comp and has recently returned to work part time. (She is still collecting partial workers’ comp benefits.) Can we adjust her vacation and personal leave time to reflect the limited hours she’s working, or is she entitled to the full amount of days?

Prepare now for the data breach that will inevitably hit you

04/25/2013
Most companies maintain large amounts of data about their employees, some of which may be considered personally identifiable information. It must be carefully guarded to ensure employee privacy and prevent identity theft. You must understand the relevant laws and your obligations to protect employee data.

Supremes to hear U.S. Steel ‘changing clothes’ case

04/25/2013
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case involving Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel. Workers at the company’s Gary, Ind., plant claim they should be compensated for the time it takes them to change clothes for work at the work site.

Court: ADA class-actions generally won’t fly

04/25/2013
Because the ADA requires employees to show they are disabled based on individual restrictions, a class-action lawsuit against an employer isn’t appropriate in most cases.