Employment Law

Terminating smokers: When there’s smoke, can you fire?

04/01/2005

Ever since media reports focused earlier this year on a Michigan company’s strict policy banning smokers on staff, many employers have asked the question: “Can we, should we, do the same?” …

Office business manager: Exempt or nonexempt?

04/01/2005

Q. We’re a nine-physician medical clinic, and we employ a salaried business manager. She makes less than $100,000 but more than $23,660 per year. Her duties include personnel, hiring and firing, and office work. We don’t give her comp time or overtime pay. If she takes a partial day off, she must use vacation time (paid time off). In light of the new (FLSA, overtime) rules, are we handling this correctly? —B.B., Missouri

Continuing insurance isn’t required by workers’ comp

04/01/2005

Q. We have several employees out on workers’ comp claims. Our policy is to pay for the employee but not dependents. How can we terminate the group insurance for employees who are out on workers’ comp for more than three months? —M.O., Washington

Don’t automatically fire after FMLA, STD leave expire

04/01/2005

Q. Our policy is to run FMLA and short-term disability (STD) concurrently. FMLA is for 12 weeks of job-protected leave. STD is for 26 weeks, with proper medical documentation. At what point can we terminate an employee, at the end of 12 weeks, when FMLA leave is exhausted? And, if so, do we end short-term disability payments, since the employee has been terminated? —E.A., Georgia

Employment Law

Terminating smokers: When there’s smoke, can you fire?

Office business manager: Exempt or nonexempt?

Continuing insurance isn’t required by workers’ comp

Don’t automatically fire after FMLA, STD leave expire

Paying men more than women with the same job titles?

The 3 things NOT to say in your sexual-harassment policy

Assist ailing employees without fear of triggering ADA

Employees can’t cry ‘retaliation’ if they’re not eligible for leave

Where your religious-accommodation responsibilities stop

Warn managers not to hire on ‘gut instinct’ alone

Tools

Advice by State

Advice by Topic