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

Employment Law

OK to fire despite isolated ‘old man’ comment

03/13/2014
Some employees joke around by calling other workers “old man” or making other insensitive ageist comments. You should certainly discourage comments that diminish employees, customers or others based on their protected characteristics. However, a few isolated incidents won’t mean a lost lawsuit if you also make sure that you terminate employees only for legitimate business reasons.

Leave in Las Vegas: Does vacation with dying mom count as FMLA time?

03/13/2014
Beverly was the sole caregiver for her mother, who was diagnosed with end-stage heart failure. A charitable group for terminally ill people gave her mother a six-day trip to Las Vegas. Beverly requested FMLA leave to join her mom, but her employer said “no.” Beverly went anyway, and then was terminated for unauthorized absences. She sued, saying that trip should be eligible for FMLA leave …

Base pay on the job–not the job description

03/12/2014
The Equal Pay Act makes it illegal to set separate rates of pay for men and women doing the same work. But some employers don’t understand that job titles and job descriptions don’t matter much when it comes to comparing jobs.

Prevent payback: Retaliation hits all-time high

03/10/2014
It’s more important than ever to remind supervisors that it’s unlawful to try to “get even” with people (staff or applicants) because they com­­plain about discrimination, either in house or to a government agency. While employee complaints to the EEOC about every type of discrimination declined from 2012 to 2013, only one rose: retaliation.

Raleigh EEOC office signs accord with Mexican Consulate

03/07/2014
The EEOC’s Raleigh office has signed a Memorandum of Under­­stand­­ing with the Mexican Consulate in Raleigh, agreeing to continue “an ongoing collaborative relationship between these two entities to provide Mexi­­can nationals with information, guidance, and access to resources on the prevention of discrimination in the workplace.”

Vandalism isn’t always employer’s responsibility

03/07/2014
Here’s an important reminder that employers aren’t responsible for pre­­venting every ugly workplace incident. Just because someone vandalizes an employee’s property doesn’t mean you will be liable for creating a hostile work environment.

No double liability for state, federal classification claims

03/07/2014

Until now, employers covered by the FLSA faced potential double liability under the North Carolina Wage and Hour Act over unpaid overtime for workers misclassified as exempt. A recent decision makes clear that the federal FLSA takes precedence.

Employee doesn’t have to be a minority to file a racial harassment complaint

03/07/2014
When nasty racial words are tossed around in a workplace, you may think the target of those words is the only person who can sue for racial harassment. Not true. It’s not necessary for someone to have protected status to complain about harassment or discrimination.

A liability ‘gift that keeps on giving’: The hostile environment you thought you fixed

03/07/2014
You may think that time is on your side after you tackled hostility in the workplace. But that isn’t always the case. For example, firing an employee who had to work in a hostile work environment for years may still mean liability, even if you recently cleaned up the workplace.

Multitasking doesn’t destroy exempt status when managers must do hands-on work

03/07/2014
Salaried retail managers often have to step in and perform nonmanagement tasks. The fact that they do some of the same things that hourly employees do doesn’t mean they aren’t exempt under the FLSA—as long as they are also managing at the same time.