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Employment Law

You can’t play politics with employees’ political choices

02/01/2004
Issue: In this election year, politics will become a hot topic around the water cooler.
Risk: Retaliating against employees for their off-site political activities or comments can run you into …

Craft a ‘last-chance pact’ with on-the-ropes employees

02/01/2004
Issue: Written “last-chance agreements” give poor-performing employees one final opportunity to shape up. Risk: Some fear that last-chance pacts will violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Action: Go …

You can require tests to set disability accommodations

02/01/2004
Issue: How to follow Americans with Disabilities Act rules requiring an “interactive process” with disabled employees.
Benefit: You can reject an accommodation request if the employee won’t cooperate in the …

Business trip injury qualifies for workers’ comp

02/01/2004

Q. One of our nonexempt employees was traveling with her boss to other company sites to conduct meetings. After one meeting, she and the boss went to dinner, which the company paid for. During the meal, the employee broke a crown on her front tooth, requiring emergency dental work. Would this fall under workers’ compensation? —R.B., Alabama

Improving applicant interviews: 10 do’s and don’ts

02/01/2004
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Don’t ‘Oversell’ a job opening

02/01/2004

Avoid the temptation to lure star applicants by painting an overly rosy financial picture of the organization or making misleading statements about job security. One faulty promise could lead to a fraud lawsuit …

Keep health data private: ‘HIPAA time’ nears for small firms

02/01/2004
Issue: The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) places new privacy requirements on employers. Risk: Smaller businesses must start complying in April. Fines range from $100 per violation …

Hiring interns? Keep it legal, dude

02/01/2004
Issue: How to avoid the often-overlooked liabilities of using interns in your workplace. Risk: Courts view interns the same as employees, as “agents” of your organization. Plus, you face extra …

Don’t break severance promise to employee

02/01/2004
If your organization’s execs grumble about not wanting to pay a promised severance package, point them to this case: A company president refused to fully honor Donald Chisholm’s severance package as …

Break time must be uninterrupted time

01/01/2004
Spread the word that nonexempt employees’ breaks and meal times should be used for those purposes, not for work. And put the policy in writing. That may force you to juggle …