Legal Issues

Employers struggle with paid leave mandates

May 19, 2017
A poll by the National Partnership for Women and Families shows that 82% of U.S. citizens surveyed favor some sort of paid sick leave. But paid leave enjoys much less support from employers.

Is it legal to fire someone by email?

May 12, 2017
Q. One of my employees works from home. Can I fire her by email, or do I need to call her in to the office?

House approves comp time instead of OT pay

May 6, 2017
The House of Representatives on May 2 voted to allow most employers to offer compensatory time off in lieu of overtime pay when nonexempt employees work more than 40 hours in a week.

Accommodate religion during onboarding

May 5, 2017
Everyone knows it’s illegal to discriminate based on religion when hiring, and that employers must reasonably accommodate religious practices once employees begin working. Not as well-known is the need for religious accommodation during onboarding.

Employee must give accommodation a chance

April 8, 2017
The employee can’t just quit and then expect to receive unemployment compensation benefits.

Keep It Legal: March ’17

February 9, 2017
Hiring? Don’t keep it all in the family.

5 policy tips for managing workplace romance

January 31, 2017
You’re better off managing relationships between co-workers than banning them.

Is it illegal to open employees’ mail?

January 30, 2017
Q. Our mailroom opens all mail automatically. Can we legally open mail delivered to employees with our company’s address on it?

Double-time pay for working holiday?

January 13, 2017
Q. Some of our employees who worked on Christmas are suggesting that they should be paid double time for putting in hours on a holiday. Are there any circumstances when double time is warranted?

Keep It Legal: February ’17

January 13, 2017
Never punish anyone who complains of harassment.