Don’t Ask about Prescription Meds Without Reasonable Belief, Objective Evidence
Q Is it legal to ask employees what prescription medications they use and whether the medications may affect their behavior or cause a safety issue?
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California at epicenter of rise in disability access cases against small businesses
by Matthew A. Goodin In addition to allowing disabled employees to sue their employers for discriminating or refusing to provide reasonable accommodations, both federal and California law allow disabled persons to sue businesses and places of public accommodation for failing to comply with a myriad of accessibility requirements, such as having wheelchair ramps or the […]
How to Unionize Your Workplace
Throughout 2023, U.S. labor unions achieved gains and made headlines. This past summer, members of the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, the Hollywood writers’ and actors’ unions, went on strike for over four months, leading to new agreements for both unions with studios and producers for increased residuals, increased compensation, and protections against exploitive […]
5 Tips for Building Culture Among a Remote Workforce
Workplace culture has been in flux for more than a year, and clarity might be further off than employers had hoped. A surge in COVID-19 cases has caused employers that made the transition to remote work last year to delay or reverse plans to return to the office. Meanwhile, large numbers of employees have chosen […]
Predictions for the HR Function in 2023
The continuously changing and increasingly important human element in the modern workplace illustrates the tremendous importance of the HR function, as well as the challenges and opportunities that function faces. HR Front and Center in Today’s Workforce As recent shake-ups to the HR function (like the COVID-19 pandemic) have demonstrated all too well, it’s impossible […]
Love Is in the Air: Coworkers Say ‘I Do’?
Who says that office romances can’t work out? Here are a few examples of past SBT’s where coworkers said ‘I do.’ A 7-11 Wedding—This couple paid tribute to the employer that brought them together by returning for their nuptials. Any guess what time they had the ceremony? Exchanging Rings Under Golden Arches—This wedding had a […]
Pregnancy Discrimination: Huge Verdict For Teacher Who Wasn’t Rehired After Principal Said She Wouldn’t Want To Work; How To Manage Pregnant Workers To Avoid Lawsuits
Nina Hagan was hired under a one-year teaching contract at St. Martin of Tours, a Catholic elementary school in Los Angeles. She received a glowing performance evaluation her first semester. But, she claimed, after the principal discovered she was pregnant, her work situation deteriorated and she wasn’t rehired for the next school year. Now a […]
10th Circuit Upholds Dismissal of FMLA Claim Based on ‘Prejudicial’ Evidence
In a recent case, a federal district court judge excluded three pieces of evidence that a fired employee claimed helped prove his allegation that his employer, SAIA Motor Freight Line, LLC, interfered with his Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave by terminating him. The evidence was excluded, the jury found in favor of the employer, and the case was dismissed.
Employee Pay Deductions: What Can (and Can’t) Be Deducted?
Pay Deductions: What Can and Can’t be Deducted? Q. Is it possible to deduct expenses from an employee for drug screens and physicals if they leave within the 90-day probationary period? A.That is something that is a function of state law, generally. Most state laws say that if an employer is going to require a […]
Survey Uncovers Workers’ #1 Gripe About Bosses
With the job market as tight as it is, “bad bosses” can cause more damage than ever before. Quality employees, after all, need not just grin and bear it—they can usually find new jobs with little effort. To nip this type of exodus in the bud, it would help to know the kind of manager […]