Legal Issues

To decide if you must pay employees for their pre- or post-work activities—such as putting on uniforms, waiting in a time-clock line, etc.—take a look at the Fair Labor Standards Act. The main issue is whether the pre- or post-activity is “integral” and “indispensable” to the employee’s principal activity.

Many teenagers find their first jobs at fast-food or sit-down restaurant chains. Unfortunately, that kind of work often comes with a side of sexual harassment. The EEOC wants to stop that rite of passage.

Q: “We have a policy that says you must provide one hour’s notice of your absence prior to the start time of your shift or disciplinary action will result. We have an hourly (union) employee whose start time is 3:00 pm and who called in at 2:18 pm for FMLA leave. Are we still able to write them up due to the policy infraction even though they called in for FMLA purposes?” – Randy, Iowa

Title VII doesn’t just outlaw co-worker and supervisor harassment, it also holds employers responsible for preventing and stopping harassment from outside the organization. As much as you don’t want to alienate customers, you must intercede if they harass your employees.