Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The 2007 hurricane season started June 1, and experts at the National Weather Service’s Hurricane Center predict it’s going to be a busy year. Last week, we examined what employers need to do before disaster strikes. This week, we’ll look at what you need to do during and after a disaster strikes. Even if you […]
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 […]
Here’s an interesting twist on a question we get all the time. We’re often asked, “Can I have an English-only rule in the workplace?” The answer is generally no, unless there are very strong business reasons dictating it. In this case, the question was, “Can I require a bilingual workforce?” The court said the answer […]
As the 2007 hurricane season starts today (June 1), it’s time for employers to review and update their disaster preparedness and response plans. And it’s time to review our updated checklist, originally prepared following our own and others’ experiences from the 2005 hurricane season, including Hurricane Katrina. The time is right for all employers to […]
Litigation Value: $65,000 (but could have been much more) Having Dwight stand on his desk with the word “liar” hanging from his neck is not what I would consider the most effective method of employee discipline. Nor was tricking him into believing that he got Michael fired. But, without more, Michael’s actions may not be […]
by Amy M. McLaughlin The Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently determined that a job applicant presented enough disputed information for his age discrimination case to be submitted to a jury, rather than dismissed. The applicant claimed that the individuals who interviewed him had an age bias against him and preferred the younger applicants. […]
Q: Our Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) policy is administered differently for employees ordered into military service or leave and those who volunteer for military leave. The policy states that for ordered military leave shorter than 31 days, the company will pay the employee’s normal rate of pay. For voluntary military leaves, […]
Throwing a virtual rave in a company-sponsored hotel room complete with black lights and a full assortment of hard liquor, while at the same time seeking to secure business opportunities, is a recipe for disaster. Luckily for Dunder Mifflin, Michael was miserably unsuccessful in creating the bacchanalian setting he so desperately longed for. But other […]
Total Litigation Value: $6,635,500+ There is no doubt that the crew from Dunder Mifflin (primarily Michael) had some expensive snafus this season. In approximately 20 weeks, Michael managed to out a gay employee; announce his affair with a Vice President at the CFO’s party; invite a pervert dressed as Ben Franklin to an office party; […]
by Mark I. Schickman I’ve received lots of e-mails recently about the major conflict still waging over the recent firing of eight U.S. attorneys. You wrote that the U.S. government, as an employer, should be able to fire any employee, so what was wrong if the Attorney General or the President had them fired? That […]