Author: Alabama Employment Law Letter

EEOC, OSHA issue retaliation guidance

by Whitney Brown Earlier this year, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released its Proposed Enforcement Guidance on Retaliation and Related Issues, which follows on the heels of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) November 2015 proposed guidance Protecting Whistleblowers: Recommended Practices for Employers for Preventing and Addressing Retaliation. Here’s an overview of both […]

Employers need to be ready for new overtime rule by December 1

The flurry of speculation is finally over. The White House and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) have released the new final rule governing which workers must be paid overtime. The changes aren’t quite as drastic as what employers were preparing for based on the contents of the proposed rule made public last summer, but […]

Pop quiz: Will she be Ripa roaring mad?

by Mark I. Schickman Pop Quiz #1: Your 26-year, highly successful employee Kelly is popular with both employees and your customer base. Five years ago, she successfully inherited the work of an old-time employee, keeping his customers happy and adding more! Four years ago, Michael was hired and assigned to assist her; under her tutelage, […]

DOL poised to release new overtime final rule

The long-awaited final rule making millions more employees eligible to earn overtime pay is likely to be released on May 18, and if its contents match recent reports, employers and employees alike are in for big changes. The Politico news organization reports that Vice President Joe Biden, Labor Secretary Tom Perez, and Ohio Senator Sherrod […]

ABC, Kelly Ripa, Michael Strahan, and lessons on parting ways with key employees

What Kelly Ripa lacks in size, she makes up for in attitude. At just 5’3″, the petit daytime talk show star measures but a fraction of the size of her former co-host, Michael Strahan, himself a former New York Giants defensive end and Super Bowl champion. But Ripa’s actions since news broke of Strahan’s planned departure from Live! for a […]

EEOC’s new wellness program rules give employers more to consider

Employers are getting a look at new final rules affecting how they structure wellness programs, rules that are meant to clear up conflicts among various federal laws but that also may make administration of wellness programs more challenging. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) new rules describe how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and […]

Getting over the hump: Why BLR was lucky enough to survive

From Dan: As a way to honor the individuals who have taught me critical life lessons about people and business, I’ve invited several to write guest columns to run in this space over the next few weeks. Today’s voice of experience once again is Robert L. Brady, the founder of Business and Legal Resources (BLR). […]

Healthcare workers’ longer hours don’t necessarily increase health, safety risks

by Rosalind H. Cooper Most employers know that there are restrictions under employment standards legislation regarding maximum hours of work for their employees. In certain circumstances, it is possible to exceed these daily or weekly maximums. However, care must be exercised when doing so in order to avoid a breach of the employer’s duties under […]

Gender diversity in the workforce: What’s holding women back?

A number of well-intentioned corporate executives—with their eyes squarely on the bottom line—are taking action to increase gender diversity at all levels of their organizations. Confident they’ll see a payoff, those top managers are making sure women’s ideas contribute to their organizations’ strategic thinking. Despite strong efforts, though, recent research notes a lack of progress.  […]

Sex stereotyping, same-sex harassment, and transgender issues in the workplace

by Amanda Shelby We typically think of sex discrimination and sexual harassment as involving two employees of the opposite sex, but that unlawful activity can occur between employees of the same sex, too. Although federal law doesn’t explicitly recognize gender identity or sexual orientation as protected characteristics, several states and cities have passed ordinances prohibiting […]