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Employment Law

Worker can’t return from FMLA leave? Beware demanding repayment of health benefits

08/11/2011

It’s expensive to cover an absent employee’s health insurance premiums when he is on FMLA leave—especially if he has family coverage. How­­ever, the law requires employers to do so. What happens if the employee doesn’t return? In some cases, em­­ployers can demand reimbursement for the premiums it paid. That’s true except if the employee doesn’t come back because he or she is still sick or has to continue to care for a sick relative.

Doubt medical certification’s accuracy? You’re allowed to seek a second opinion

08/11/2011

Employees who want FMLA leave for their own illness need a certification from a health care provider. It should document a serious condition, briefly explaining the diagnosis and treatment. Employers that doubt the certification is accurate or want to challenge whether the condition really can seek a second opinion from another health care provider, paid for by the company.

Chicago’s Jackson Park Hospital faces bias, retaliation charges

08/11/2011
The EEOC is suing Jackson Park Hos­pital and Medical Center for race dis­crimination and retaliation, alleging that the South Side Chicago institution condones race bias and retaliated against workers who complained about discrimination.

Don’t sweat it: Small slights don’t equal bias

08/11/2011

Overly sensitive employees can be quick to perceive “discrimination.” They may look at others’ actions as hostile, based on past experiences elsewhere. But that doesn’t mean a court will agree and punish an employer that hasn’t discriminated. Reality: It takes more than a few slights to make a winning discrimination case.

What not to say: ‘Playing the race card’

08/11/2011

Some comments spell nothing but trouble. That’s why you should ban them from the workplace, at least when spoken by anyone holding a super­visory role. One of the most inflammatory statements: the all-too-common “playing the race card.”

The ICE man cometh … with a notice of intent to audit

08/10/2011
You may have noticed a slight chill in the air recently. For the second time this year, ICE has notified 1,000 employers that it plans to inspect their Form I-9 records. Whether your company has received a Notice of Intent to Audit or you have been lucky enough to avoid one until now, it is important to understand how a NOI may impact your organization.

Employee with cerebral palsy agrees to settlement with Target

08/10/2011

Minneapolis-based retail giant Target will pay $160,000 to settle a disability discrimination suit at one of its California stores. The EEOC filed the suit on behalf of Jeremy Schott, who suffers from cerebral palsy.

Punish poor behavior, not FMLA leave

08/10/2011
Some employees need FMLA leave to cope with work stress. But that doesn’t mean that employers can’t punish someone who makes threats.

Employee alleges hostile environment? Act fast to identify culprits, repair damage

08/10/2011

Fortunately for employers, courts measure a hostile work environment against the “reasonable employee” standard. If a reasonable employee would not find the conduct hostile, then it doesn’t matter how intensely a particular employee reacts to allegedly hostile acts. The idea behind the standard is to protect employers from exaggerated claims, especially when it is clear the employer took the allegations seriously and moved to prevent further problems.

Clear and fair hiring process yields the best candidates–and impresses judges

08/10/2011

Employers that develop clear, fair and transparent hiring processes seldom have to worry about losing a failure-to-hire lawsuit. That’s true even if they end up using so-called subjective reasons for not hiring a candidate. Simply put, judges are impressed when it looks like a potential employer bends over backward to ensure it doesn’t discriminate.