Author: Alabama Employment Law Letter

New Alabama noncompete law starts in January

by Al Vreeland A bill signed into law over the summer will significantly strengthen Alabama employers’ ability to enforce noncompete agreements when the law takes effect January 1, 2016. The state’s old noncompete statute makes a broad statement that noncompete agreements are void. It then creates several exceptions into which courts have shoehorned the modern […]

Yogi Berra: baseball great and secret HR consultant

by Dennis Merley Baseball hall of famer Yogi Berra passed away in September at the age of 90. In addition to being a great player for the perennial champion New York Yankees in the 1950s and early 1960s, he was known as a type of clown-prince for his penchant for amusing malapropisms related to baseball […]

Talking turkey and mulling mediation

by Christopher J. Pyles Many (many) years ago when I was in college, I spent Thanksgiving Day with a bachelor uncle at a football game. In celebration of the season, we bought a frozen turkey on the way home . . . and sadly discovered that you can’t just toss a turkey in the oven […]

Thank those who helped you dream big, and then pay it forward

by Dan Oswald Have you ever had someone encourage you to dream big? Someone who said you could be anything you wanted to be? Maybe you were lucky enough to have a parent or grandparent who convinced you that there are no limits. Or maybe a teacher or coach inspired you to consider opportunities that […]

Legal haze: accommodating employees who use medical marijuana

by Kyla Stott-Jess One of the hot topics discussed during the recent Canadian federal election was the possible legalization of marijuana. The Liberal Party, which won the election, took a position in favor of legalization as part of its platform. As the country waits to see whether the new government will put forward legislation to […]

Collies in the cubicles? Exploring pros and cons of pets at work

Who couldn’t use a cute, cuddly friend at work? One that’s not the least bit judgmental, one that is loyal and devoted, one whose main goal in life is to build you up when the pressures of work get you down. If only your dog could go with you to work.  A number of companies […]

More penalties under ACA? The cost of failure to file went up

by Jamie Brabston As employers prepare to comply with the upcoming information-reporting requirements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which remain in place after the Supreme Court’s decision in King v. Burwell, Congress snuck higher penalties for failing to meet those requirements into a trade bill. House Resolution (HR) 1295, known as the Trade Preferences […]

6 important ways to avoid playing the blame game

by Dan Oswald When the going gets tough, how long does it take for someone to ask, “Who’s to blame for this mess?” Unfortunately, the answer is not very long. We live in a world in which everyone wants to place blame. You don’t have to look any further than the Great Recession. Republicans blamed […]

Haunted by work

This blog’s mission is to be witty, entertaining, and informative. That mission is difficult when the headlines are as sobering as what we’ve seen since last Friday in Paris. Before I launch into this week’s EntertainHR installment, I want to extend my sympathies to and express my solidarity with the people of Paris and, in […]

BYOD: privacy issues for Canadian employers

by Lorene A. Novakowski Bring Your Own Device, or BYOD, programs are increasingly popular in Canada, as they are in the United States. Under a BYOD program, employers require or expect employees to use their own mobile devices for business purposes. The practice raises privacy concerns as well as concerns about ownership of company data […]