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

Employers routinely require applicants to whom they have extended job offers to take tests for illegal drugs. If they pass, they get the jobs. If they don’t, employers can legally rescind the offers. But here’s a case in which an employer completely mishandled this everyday procedure, and now will probably pay a high price.

Do all your supervisors and HR staff understand how Minnesota’s Drug and Alcohol Testing in the Workplace Act works? If not, train everyone now or face the possibility of punitive damages.

Both the ADA and the FMLA have strict requirements for how employers must handle employees’ confidential medical information. HR professionals need to know these rules to comply with both acts—and to avoid expensive legal liability for failing to do so.

Q. Our company has random drug testing. Can we send an employee to be tested for suspicion of drug use?

Advances in medical research have resulted in the early detection and treatment of illnesses. One of the most significant advancements is testing that can identify genetic differences that could increase an individual’s chance of developing a particular disease. But there’s a downside to such progress ...

Q. My company would like to administer personality tests to job applicants. Does this practice violate the ADA?

Q. I recently heard the phrase “tryout time” and wondered what this phrase meant and how it may be applicable to my workplace ...

Q. I have been asked to screen applicants for several positions. Can we lawfully ask selected candidates to submit to physical exams or drug testing? ...

Employee handbooks should spell out exactly what it takes to earn time off—and what happens when an employee resigns or is fired. Make sure you spell out the limitations, or you may end up stuck paying for accrued time when you discharge an employee for serious problems, such as a failed drug test ...

The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) fired 12 state troopers in September for allegedly cheating on an exam that certifies police officers to administer breath-alcohol sensing tests to suspected drunken drivers ...

The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) says the city of Dayton’s hiring practices have systematically discriminated against black applicants for police and firefighter jobs ...