Author: Arizona Employment Law Letter

Caregiving responsibilities, temporal flexibility, and the gender wage gap

by Kelly Boehner We often hear that women earn approximately 77 cents for every dollar men earn. That statistic comes from data in the 2010 American Community Survey, an annual survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The statistic means that if you calculate the median annual income for all men and women who work […]

Prayer breaks present difficult religious accommodation issues

by Steven T. Collis Recent news stories describe the tension between Muslim workers seeking multiple prayer breaks at specified times throughout their workday and employers that need those workers on the assembly line. Many Muslim employees have walked off the job, claiming their prayer break requests have been unlawfully denied. With so much coverage of […]

discrimination

The wrong way to diversify a workforce

by Lynn M. Mueller According to the 8th Circuit, three officials of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department who were seeking a diverse workforce violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when they rejected a white male sergeant in favor of a black female sergeant for a transfer to an equivalent position […]

Employers must meet new safety data requirement by June 1

by Jacob Monty Employers need to be ready for a new requirement from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that changes the format of safety data related to chemicals in the workplace. OSHA is replacing its material safety data sheet (MSDS) requirement with a more uniform document called the safety data sheet (SDS). The […]

Federal agencies cracking down on gender identity discrimination

As the debate over gender identity discrimination rages within the halls of state and federal governments, employers are left to wonder how the controversy will play out in the workplace. One high-profile aspect of the issue centers on North Carolina’s House Bill 2, which Governor Pat McCrory signed into law on March 23. The law […]

Where’s that Goat?

Wow, is this tough. I really don’t know whether I can get the words out. Still, I know it’s true, so I have to say it—so, here goes . . . no, no . . . wait. OK, take a breath, calm yourself, and just let people know what’s on your mind: The Cubs are […]

Divorce and the unproductive employee

by Kathryn M. Grigg Employees are not the only ones who suffer through a divorce. Employers also bear the cost of an employee’s divorce through absenteeism and reduced productivity. This article addresses some benefits and support programs you can provide at minimal cost to maintain a productive workforce. Costs of divorce The amount of time […]

How Will a Minimum Wage Increase Impact You? CFOs Weigh In (Survey)

Nearly 75% of minimum-wage paying firms in the United States say they would reduce current or future employment if the minimum wage is raised to $15 per hour, according to a recent survey of senior finance executives. The Duke University/CFO Global Business Outlook survey has been conducted each quarter for two decades. The latest survey […]

Dredging: the invisible—but critical—task of all managers

by Dan Oswald When I was a little boy, I had a book that was filled with pictures of heavy equipment. Like many boys, I was fascinated by the large bulldozers, cranes, and trucks. There was one piece of equipment that intrigued me because I had never seen anything like it. It was a grab […]

Planting Corporate Seeds for Social Good (Infographic)

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming increasingly important to both corporations and local businesses. CSR is seen by many executives as having a positive impact on long-term profits and general business health. This infographic shows outlines a real-world examples from companies like Target, Starbucks, and Pepsi, and shows how issues in the field of social […]