02/03/2012
Some companies are careless, some are unlucky. Apparently Case Farm Chickens is both. Not only is the company facing $288,000 in fines for 61 OSHA violations, but it experienced an ammonia leak the day OSHA inspectors showed up at its Wineburg facility.
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02/02/2012
Florida’s version of the FMLA allows workers to take up to three days of leave if the employee or a family member is the victim of domestic violence. Now a state senator, Mike Fasano, has proposed an amendment that would extend that protection to pet abuse.
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01/31/2012
U.S. combat operations in Iraq ended in December. The Department of Defense is gradually drawing down forces in Afghanistan. If you are rehiring employees returning from military service, you must follow USERRA guidelines.
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01/31/2012
There’s plenty of employment law news making its way into the mainstream media. That means the workplace will be buzzing with employee chatter about working conditions, pay and unions. Prepare now for how to react.
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01/31/2012
Fox-Searchlight Pictures faces a class-action lawsuit in New York from unpaid interns who worked on the production of the hit film “Black Swan.” The interns claim Fox-Searchlight failed to pay them for their work in violation of the FLSA and recent DOL guidelines.
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01/31/2012
In an attempt to right what he perceives to be a wrong-headed Supreme Court decision, President Obama is asking the U.S. Department of Labor to change Fair Labor Standards Act regulations covering home health care workers.
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01/31/2012
Criminal defendants are entitled to a public defender, but that’s not true for employees trying to sue for discrimination. Courts won’t often pay for legal assistance if the employee can do the work herself.
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01/31/2012
Employers that compile promotion lists based on test results should tell employees that the lists will be updated periodically.
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01/31/2012
An employee may request FMLA leave after the decision has been made to terminate her but before finding out she’s about to lose her job. Employers that can prove they made the firing decision earlier won’t lose an FMLA failure-to-reinstate lawsuit.
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01/31/2012
Tempted to ask applicants about their past medical history, disabilities or other private information related to potential disabilities? Don’t do so before you make a job offer.
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01/31/2012
Employers may be suspicious about a prospective worker’s claimed professional credentials or other certifications—especially if it seems like the documents may have been altered or forged. If you have such doubts, don’t hesitate to ask for clarification.
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01/31/2012
Some employees never forget an indignity. Years later, they may sue over something unrelated to the original wrong and try to bring the old offense into the case. That sometimes works if their claim alleges a hostile work environment. But if the hostility stopped years ago, chances are the court won’t consider the old claim.
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01/31/2012
The U.S. Department of Labor has proposed new FMLA rules that would formalize several statutory amendments that expanded military family-leave rights in 2008 and 2009. The new rules would officially incorporate into the FMLA amendments that were tacked onto the National Defense Authorization Act. If you're covered by the FMLA, these rules will apply to you.
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01/31/2012
Last year ended and 2012 began with a flurry of activity from the National Labor Relations Board NLRB. Between controversial appointments to the board and action on two new rules concerning organized labor, the NLRB has given employers much to watch.
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01/31/2012
The former general manager of Foxworth-Galbraith Lumber in Fort Worth is suing the company for age discrimination, claiming he was fired at the age of 55 and replaced by a 38-year-old man.
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