• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

Employment Law

In Pennsylvania lately, no noose is good news

12/01/2007

A recent spate of bizarre “noose” incidents at workplaces in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have activists calling for tough responses. A Verizon worker in Butler County discovered a doll with a noose around its neck and a note saying she didn’t deserve a promotion. Days later, a worker at a construction site in O’Hara Township found a noose in his work area …

Best Buy hit with class-Action suit demanding back wages

12/01/2007

Jason Hall, of Malvern, who worked for two months in 2006 at the North Wales Best Buy store, has filed a suit over unpaid time spent by employees undergoing security searches and working through breaks …

Philadelphia hotel sales rep sentenced for hate crime

12/01/2007

Kia Reid, a former sales representative at a Sheraton Suites hotel in Philadelphia, was sentenced to eight months in a community corrections center plus two years of probation for sending a threatening note to her supervisor, who is an American Muslim of Arabic descent …

‘Best Places to Work’ firm says state wants it shut down

12/01/2007

Bucks County contracting firm Worth & Co. says the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) has charged it with wage violations in an attempt to shut the company down because it is a nonunion shop. Worth won Pennsylvania’s “Best Places to Work Award” five years running, thanks to nominations from its employees …

Workplace genetic testing raises discrimination concerns

12/01/2007

Advances in genetic research have renewed attention on the workplace implications of genetic testing. Genetic research has many potential benefits. But there is growing concern that employers with access to genetic information may use it to discriminate …

USERRA: Know your duty to returning disabled soldiers

12/01/2007

The federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) requires employers to reinstate employees who take military-related leave. It also prohibits job discrimination against military or ex-military personnel. But a lesser-known USERRA provision deals with how employers must handle soldiers who return from active duty with injuries or other disabilities. USERRA is similar to the ADA …

RSVP: Holiday party during FMLA leave?

12/01/2007

Q. An employee who is unable to work has been out on FMLA for the past few weeks. Our holiday party is coming up next week. Should I allow her to attend if she wants to? …

Illegal status doesn’t bar employee’s discrimination claim

12/01/2007

While it may be unlawful to employ illegal immigrants under the Immigration Reform and Control Act, that doesn’t mean undocumented employees can’t sue for alleged employment discrimination based on other factors, such as pregnancy. Federal courts will still entertain discrimination lawsuits, ignoring illegal status …

New Jersey’s anti-Discrimination law has long reach

12/01/2007

You may think that the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (NJLAD) applies only to your role as an employer. You would be wrong. In fact, the NJLAD may affect other aspects of your organization’s business activities. As the following case shows, even refusing to do business with another company can lead to discrimination litigation …

Documenting HR’s responsiveness cuts harassment liability

12/01/2007

Employees who quit in frustration when their harassment complaints go unheeded can sue, claiming they were “constructively discharged” because conditions were unbearable. That’s why it’s crucial for the HR office to respond to each and every complaint. Doing so can head off a surprise lawsuit …