Author: Tammy Binford

What recourse does an employer have when an ex-employee steals?

Employee theft is an unpleasant reality in the workplace, but when the employee is still on the job, at least the employer can easily confront the worker. But what’s an employer to do if the theft is discovered after the employee leaves the job and moves out of state? Does the errant worker get off […]

Federal contractor ‘pay transparency’ rule up for comment

by Tammy Binford The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has published a proposed rule aimed at ensuring that employees of federal contractors are allowed to discuss their compensation. The proposed rule, which was published in the September 17 Federal Register, gives interested parties until December 16 to submit comments. The rule’s language prohibits federal contractors […]

Should employees’ salaries be public knowledge?

by Connor Beatty Picture this: A manager calls his subordinates into a conference room and asks them to write down their salary and pin it to a board for everyone to see. The thought of that may make some of you cringe worse than many of the moments on reality TV. In fact, this idea […]

New Hampshire social media privacy law takes effect September 30

by Jeanine Poole New Hampshire employers need to be reviewing their policies regarding employee use of social media and electronic equipment now that a new law protecting employee privacy is set to take effect September 30. The new law prohibits New Hampshire employers from requesting or requiring current or prospective employees to disclose some information […]

Some extra points about fantasy football and your workplace

Although the actual games have been overshadowed lately by the off-the-field misbehavior of some of the players, the NFL season opened last week. And if you listened closely enough, you could almost hear HR managers and small business owners across the country yelling at their employees, “Get off your fantasy football website and get back […]

Chick-fil-A founder was embodiment of servant leader philosophy

by Dan Oswald I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the phrase “servant leadership.” While servant leadership is a concept I’ve heard about many times in the past, I wasn’t sure where it originated, so I did some research and found that the phrase was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, […]

British Columbia court offers more lessons about employment contracts

by Monique Orieux Last year in Northern Exposure we shared five key lessons about Canadian employment contracts arising from the trial court’s decision in Miller v. Convergys CMG Canada Limited Partnership. The British Columbia Court of Appeal recently issued its decision in the case: Miller v. Convergys CMG Canada Limited Partnership, 2014 BCCA 311. Its […]

Study shows need to address unintended consequences of diversity efforts

For years now, employers have focused on the benefits of workplace diversity. They can point to studies showing how work groups in which men and women of all ages, races and ethnicities often outperform less diverse groups.  Sometimes the quest for diversity stems from a desire to capitalize on the talents of all kinds of […]

Clarity amidst confusion: handling mental disability claims

by Allison B. Wannop One of the most difficult issues employers deal with is how to accommodate an employee with a mental impairment under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Mental impairments can include depression, anxiety disorders, and psychiatric disorders that affect employees’ attendance and performance. Employers may have a difficult time distinguishing mental impairments […]

Revisiting gender identity discrimination

by Lauren Moak Russell We have addressed the issue of gender identity discrimination several times. As transgender individuals enter the mainstream of popular culture and employees become more comfortable disclosing their gender identity, employers can expect to see this issue arise with increasing frequency. The following is some guidance on how to stay out of […]