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Can You Fire for Moonlighting While Out on FMLA?

If you find that one of your employees out on FMLA is working for someone else, can you fire the person? “It depends,” attorney Jeff Wortman says, smiling as he utters the standard attorney response. Wortman’s remarks came at BLR’s National Employment Law Update, held recently in Las Vegas. He is a partner with Seyfarth […]

Pre-employ.com welcomes Phillip A. Smith as new company President

For more than 15 years, Pre-employ.com has been an established leader of the background screening industry: This month, the company welcomes Phillip A Smith—an accomplished professional with extensive industry experience—to the role of President. “I am looking forward to joining the Pre-employ.com team and to working with its outstanding group of professionals,” said Smith. “This […]

Wage Theft Prevention Act Increases Duties, Stiffens Penalties for New York Employers

by Traycee Ellen Klein and Erin Carney D’Angelo On Monday, December 13, New York Governor David Patterson signed the Wage Theft Prevention Act (WTPA). According to the governor’s press release, the new law: enacts more stringent and transparent record-keeping and employee notification requirements; increases the amount of wages that can be recovered as damages in […]

Why Bedbugs Draw Swarm of Plaintiff’s Attorneys

Third of four parts When bedbugs invade your office, factory, or other building, they aren’t the only pests employers will be feverishly wanting to get rid of. The other dreaded workplace pestilence — plaintiffs’ attorneys — may not be far behind, scratching around for an opportunity to file bug-related litigation for any number of reasons. […]

Calling Boss ‘Pervy Wanker’ on Facebook—Terminable Offense?

Careless employees end up getting terminated over their social media indiscretions; but HR managers can also wind up unemployed if they don’t handle social media issues carefully. Attorney Thomas Deer shares the risks on both sides of the coin. TAs a general matter, he says, employers face two sorts of risks relating to employee usage […]

Does Your Organization “GET IT”? How To Make Your Company “Cool”!

By Dr. Jan Ferri-Reed All we seem to hear in the news is the doom and gloom of unemployment and the continuation of the economic downturn in housing, industrial expansion and job growth.  On the other hand, there are still good news stories out there of companies that are expanding, hiring and growing.  And, even […]

Federal Court Rules Health Care Reform Provision Unconstitutional

Yesterday, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia held that the individual health insurance mandate provision found in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the comprehensive health care reform legislation that President Barack Obama signed into law in March 2010, is unconstitutional. The individual mandate would require most individuals to […]

DOL Announces ‘Bridge to Justice’ Attorney Referral System

It may soon be easier for employees to find private legal representation after the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) declines to pursue their Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) or Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) claims. This is thanks to a new collaboration between the WHD and the American Bar […]

Ruff Stuff: Pros, Cons of Bedbug Detection Dogs

Second of four parts For employers trying to figure out if their workplace has a bedbug problem, bringing in properly trained bedbug-sniffing dogs can be the best approach, especially if you have a large facility to check. But you’d be wise to do a little more digging yourself before signing a contract with the dog […]