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Firing

You can enforce a reasonable dress code

06/01/2007
Have your employees lost a sense of appropriate workplace attire? If so, remember that you can enforce a reasonable dress code. Just stay clear of banning religious dress that doesn’t pose a safety hazard—that might amount to religious discrimination. On the other hand, you don’t have to allow the same employee to sport the religious (and other) symbols of multiple faiths …

Court: Intermittent FMLA leave won’t cover tardiness, bathroom breaks

05/15/2007

Employees are becoming well versed in the FMLA game, and you’re paying the price. Unscheduled intermittent leaves now account for a huge portion of all FMLA leaves of absence. And while the law does allow employees to take FMLA leave in small bites for a doctor’s visit or to care for a sick relative, it doesn’t give them unfettered rights to random work breaks or to arrive late without a good excuse …

FMLA in a Nutshell: How to Comply With the Family and Medical Leave Act

05/15/2007
White Paper published by The HR Specialist, copyright 2009 ______________________ The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which became law in 1993, provides qualified employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year for the birth or adoption of a child, for caring for a spouse or an immediate family member with a […]

It’s important to track discipline by type and degree

05/01/2007

Expect a call from an employment lawyer when a disgruntled employee is fired. If the axed employee belongs to a protected class (race, sex, disability, etc.), expect more than a call …

Strong harassment policy plus training essential

05/01/2007

It’s been a few years since the U.S. Supreme Court laid down the law on sexual harassment…. Time breeds complacency, and too many organizations have let down their guard. The world’s best policy won’t do you any good collecting dust on a shelf …

Whistle-Blower Act doesn’t apply to religious employment

05/01/2007

Employees who work for religious organizations, such as church schools, can’t sue for retaliation under Florida’s Private-Sector Whistleblower Act, even if the conduct they report is clearly illegal …

Cover up! ‘The Full Monty’ a wrap for this high school teacher

05/01/2007

A Lemon Bay High School music teacher was threatened with being fired if he didn’t quit his part in the Venice Little Theatre’s production of The Full Monty because it features nudity …

Whistle-blower complaint muddies Environmental Protection waters

05/01/2007

A senior chemist with nearly 20 years of experience in the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has filed a whistle-blower complaint …

While he’s done a great job as city manager, she’s got to go

05/01/2007

Largo is struggling to live up to its “City of Progress” moniker after the city commission voted in February to fire City Manager Steve Stanton for planning a sex-change operation …

The babies are fine at Babies “R” Us, expectant moms maybe not so much

05/01/2007

You might have thought it would lend the place a little authenticity, but when fast-track manager Renee Bettis announced she was expecting a baby, she got an unexpected boot out the door …