It’s a good idea to keep careful track of the reasons why employees take FMLA leave—especially if an employee takes leave on different occasions for different reasons.

Sometimes, employees don’t have enough information to judge whether something they observe at work is discrimination—or a legitimate management action.

These days, employees and their attorneys often go to great lengths to intimidate employers. One way to do that is to file a huge lawsuit—one that takes up pages and pages, and includes a laundry list of allegations ... Before you panic, call your attorneys

There’s always a chance that a fired employee could sue and win. But if, after the discharge, you discover other reasons that would have led you to fire the employee anyway, you may not be liable for much in the way of lost wages. And you certainly won’t have to reinstate the employee.

What if an employee files a discrimination complaint with the EEOC and then suddenly finds herself having to work with someone she deems undesirable? Can she sue and allege that transferring the person she doesn’t like into her work section amounts to retaliation for filing the EEOC complaint?

Employers need flexibility when it comes to disciplining employees. But flexibility can’t come at the expense of members of a protected class. Be careful before you approve different punishments for the same or very similar rule violations.

Lake Ridge Academy in North Ridgeville agreed to pay $950,000 after a federal jury found that it fired James Whiteman in retaliation for expressing concerns about possible pay inequities at the private school.

At first glance, the federal ADEA appears rather straightforward: It protects people age 40 and older from employment discrimination based on their age. But the law can affect just about anything managers do, from asking questions in job interviews to assigning job duties ...

During this term, the U.S. Supreme Court will consider employment cases concerning arbitration, pregnancy discrimination, protected activity and union fee use.

Employees are protected from retaliation for filing discrimination claims such as a complaint with the EEOC or the DOL. That protection starts as soon as the employee lets someone in authority at the company know he’s going to contact the agency.

When jurors hear that a company has a clear set of disciplinary rules but made an exception in the case of someone who just filed an EEOC or internal discrimination claim, they may jump to the conclusion retaliation occurred.

Settling with an employee who has filed a discrimination lawsuit? If the EEOC gets involved, it can continue the case on its own—and may be able to get a court to order you to take corrective measures that go far beyond your settlement terms. That’s one good reason to conduct your own thorough investigation before you settle with the employee.

The California Fair Employment and Housing Act requires employees to file complaints with the appropriate state agency within one year of an alleged discriminatory act. But what happens if the employee delays going to the agency and instead tries to resolve the complaint using the employer’s own internal process?

An employee who works for a government agency or other public employer and files an internal grievance may be protected from retaliation. That’s because the grievance may be protected First Amendment speech, against which the employer can’t retaliate.

Are you downsizing your holiday party this year? A Watson Wyatt survey says 37% of firms are scaling back end-of-year festivities—or canceling them altogether! Here’s how some businesses are coping, according to our sister e-newsletter The Admin Pro Forum. PLUS! News about a holiday party legal problem you might never suspect.