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Employment Law

Let cops search computers; don’t fear a privacy lawsuit

04/01/2007

With all the talk about workplace privacy, remember that your organization, not the employee, owns the computers and the data in them. You needn’t fear a privacy lawsuit if you give permission for law enforcement to read e-mail, search hard drives or access phone numbers on company-owned cell phones …

Failing to track FMLA leave requests erases your right to challenge time off

04/01/2007

It’s crucial to keep meticulous FMLA records, from requests to approvals to return-to-work discussions. If you fail to create a solid paper trail, courts will resolve any questions in the employee’s favor …

‘Anti-Mom’ comments can trigger messy discrimination lawsuits

04/01/2007

It’s not only illegal to discriminate against females in the work force, it’s also illegal to show bias against certain subsets of women …

You can’t force employee to use paid time if on disability

04/01/2007

If you require employees to use accumulated sick leave, vacation time or other paid leave when they’re out on FMLA leave, be aware of a little-known trap: If that employee also is receiving payments through a disability plan, you can’t force the person to use up his or her accumulated paid leave …

It’s up to you to prove applicant is ‘Direct threat’ to safety

04/01/2007

You can legally reject job applicants who have physical or mental limitations if they would pose a direct threat to their own safety or the safety of customers or co-workers. The ADA makes that clear. What isn’t clear is what’s considered a “direct threat” …

OSHA issues new mandatory safety poster

04/01/2007

If your organization’s OSHA safety poster is showing its years, now’s a good time to order a new one: OSHA just released a new version of the It’s the Law poster …

New rules haven’t eased exempt/Nonexempt confusion

04/01/2007

Amid much fanfare, the U.S. Labor Department in 2004 rewrote the rules that determine which employees are exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (not eligible for overtime) and which are nonexempt (eligible for overtime). The goal was to ease confusion and lawsuits. But, so far, that hasn’t happened …

State may limit your right to ban guns on premises

04/01/2007

 Legislation proposed in at least 10 states would guarantee employees the right to keep registered guns in their cars while at work …

Rise in ‘Unhappy’ workers heightens lawsuit risks

04/01/2007

Fewer than half of Americans say they’re satisfied with their jobs, a dramatic drop from 20 years ago when 61 percent said they were satisfied, according to surveys by The Conference Board …

HR as mobsters: Supreme Court lets workers use organized-Crime law to sue their employers

04/01/2007

The U.S. Supreme Court let stand a lower court ruling that a group of employees at a Georgia carpet company can use state and federal anti-racketeering laws to sue their employer …