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Icy Winter Inspires Innovative Infrastructure for Commuting

This has been an exceptionally cold winter for most of North America, causing long—and often treacherous—commutes to and from work by car or bus as road conditions range from awful to inaccessible. However, if necessity is the mother of invention, then Edmonton, Alberta, has thought outside the box in getting employees to work in the […]

Iowa workers’ comp changes coming July 1

by Tara Hall and Rebecca Duffy Changes to Iowa’s workers’ compensation law—changes seen as mostly beneficial to employers—are set to take effect July 1. The employer-friendly changes to the state’s workers’ comp law include a new provision classifying shoulder injuries as scheduled-member injuries rather than body-as-a-whole injuries, which force an industrial disability analysis. Another change […]

Employers risk damages, civil money penalties for improper I-9 and E-Verify procedures

by Mary Pivec Employers face a high cost if they are accused of engaging in discriminatory employment verification procedures. The Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Discrimination (OSC) in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has made it a priority to pursue employers that allegedly misuse or abuse their access […]

Paid-Time-Off (PTO): At Many Companies, It Doesn’t Seem to Count

A surprising survey shows that many companies simply don’t track their paid-time-off (PTO) programs, even though the cost may be as high as health care. Potential savings from better management: millions. Employee: “Boss. I don’t feel well. I’d like to stay home but I’m not sure I’ve got any sick days left.” Employer: “Hey, who’s […]

Do Your Employees Know How to Protect Themselves from Identity Theft?

The Federal Trade Commission estimates that as many as 9 million or 10 million Americans have their identities stolen each year. According to the National Crime Prevention Council, identity theft costs consumers $5 billion annually. Clearly, identity theft is a serious problem nationwide. Although it does not affect the workplace directly, it could affect some […]

training

Looking for Training Experts? They May Be Right Next to You

Do you look for subject matter experts within your own company for your training initiatives? Not every high-potential, knowledgeable employee is looking to be promoted into a top leadership position, but he or she still wants to experience some form of advancement. Tapping these top performers’ vast expertise can boost your training—and help retain them […]

Manager Fired While on Leave May Have Interference Claim

By Tara Eberline, JD In addition to giving employees the right to job-protected leave, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides two avenues of relief for an employee when his employer doesn’t comply with its obligations under the law. Read the following article to learn about the distinctions between FMLA interference and retaliation claims […]

Grief Counseling Revisited

Litigation Value: $3,000 – $ 5,000 (the amount that Dunder Mifflin will have to pay an attorney to write a brief supporting its motion to dismiss the case). The lesson from this episode is that, try as we might, there are some bad things that happen for which you can’t sue your employer. Or anyone […]

New York City’s ‘Fair Workweek’ laws set to take effect

by Angelo D. Catalano Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP New York City fast-food and retail employers need to be ready for the city’s package of five new “Fair Workweek” laws when they go into effect on November 26. Following is a summary outlining the basics of the new laws. Fast-food workers No “clopening.” Fast-food employers are […]

Keeping an open mind during workplace investigations

by Peter Lowe Internal workplace investigations turn sour for a variety of reasons, including haste, poor preparation, ineffective documentation, and a lack of investigatory skills. But in my experience, the biggest obstacle to fair and thorough investigations is the bias of the investigator. When an investigator starts out with a preconceived notion of guilt or […]