Determining Work Restrictions When Hiring Minors
Question: We are a moving and storage company, with offices in multiple states. If we were to hire minors (say 16 or 17), are there any limitations to the hours and duties they could perform?
Category: HR Management & Compliance
There are dozens of details to take care of in the day-to-day operation of your department and your company. We give you case studies, news updates, best practices and training tips that keep your organization fully in compliance with ever-changing employment law, and you fully aware of emerging HR trends.
6th Circuit: BFOQ Defense Bars Female Correction Officer’s Sex Bias Claims
The bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ) defense barred a female corrections officer’s sex discrimination claims because the county employer had proven its two-female policy was both reasonably necessary and legally required, the 6th Circuit recently ruled.
Employee May Still Be Entitled to Bonus After Watching Pornography at Work
After being terminated for watching pornography on his work computer during work hours, a former employee sued for breach of contract, and the employer countered by asking the court for summary judgment. The case couldn’t be dismissed without a trial, however, because there is a possibility the company fired him to avoid paying a retention […]
The Future of the In-Person Office
As the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, there is less and less of a need for employers to maintain the remote work policies many have had in place for well over a year. Still, employee expectations and preferences are pushing many employers to consider permanent remote work or at least hybrid arrangements, and those employers did not […]
6th Circuit Amends Damages Award in Fired Undocumented Worker Case
An employer can’t be held liable for back pay for a state law retaliation claim during a period when the former employee lacked lawful immigration status to work in the United States, the 6th Circuit (which covers Kentucky and Tennessee employers) recently ruled. The appellate court affirmed, however, the employer could be found liable for […]
WV Jobs Protection Act Reopens Doors by Shielding Liability for COVID-19
From layoffs to leave laws, mandated vaccinations to limitations on services or materials, almost every business has been affected by COVID-19 in some way over the last year. The concern that has been top of mind for nearly all employers, however, is how to keep your employees safe from the virus and your business safe […]
4th Circuit: Failure to Cooperate in Investigation Isn’t Protected Activity
Employee Misconduct at Off-Site Party May Qualify as Workplace Harassment
Is an employer liable for employee misconduct at “after-hours” gatherings? When a trial court adopted a narrow view of what constituted “the workplace,” an appeals court weighed in using a “totality of the circumstances” test.
Worker Boxed Out of Suit Against Temp Agency’s Client
A temporary worker asserted claims for racial discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and battery. He settled his claims against the temp agency but tried to pursue them against the company that ran the facility. A federal judge in Southern Illinois told him to pack up and go home.
Remote Sexual Harassment: It’s Happening. Are You Ready?
Touches on the shoulder, staring, offensive remarks, and overly personal questions in the break room. Yes, those in-person situations are not with us when we work remotely, but watch out. An evolving workplace environment presents a heightened set of issues. And every company needs to be prepared.