Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
When employees are accused of misconduct, their first instinct may be to say they didn’t do it. But under a new U.S. Supreme Court ruling, public employer scan impose additional punishment on workers who deny an accusationthat later proves to be true. This seemingly straightforward decisioncould have some unexpected consequences, however, as employers may find […]
An employee is accused of violating a company rule, and after investigating you decidetermination is appropriate. The worker continues to claim innocence and accuses you of unfair treatment. Typically their next step would be to call a lawyer or complain to a government agency.But some employees now have another option: peer review by a committee […]
The possibility of facing a sexual harassment claim can make any employer nervous. And investigating a workplace harassment charge is frequently uncomfortable for all parties involved. To make matters worse, the line between illegal harassment and offensive but harmless office banter can be fuzzy at best.
An employee who requests family leave for a serious illness can be asked to submit medical verification of the need for the leave. But what if you don’t believe the person is medically entitled to the leave? Can youseek a second opinion? A new ruling from a federal appeals courtconfirms that you have the right […]
Giving workers propernotice of their COBRA rights is a common concern for employers.And now a new decision-which highlights the potentially expensive consequences of mistakes-reinforces the need to proceed with caution.Here’s a look at the case and four compliance tips.
Once a terminated employeehas signed a release promising not to sue and has cashed theirseverance check, you probably think you are free from their legalclaims against you. In most cases, you’d be right. But you couldbe in for an expensive surprise if the employee is 40 years orolder and your paperwork isn’t perfect. That’s because […]
A new federal law now in effect says that if you offer mental health benefits, they must have the same aggregate lifetime and annual limits as medical benefits. The law applies to employers with 50 or more employees. There’s an exemption for employerswho can show the parity requirements will increase their costsby more than 1%. […]
The U.S. Supreme Court has clarified the rules for when employers can poll unionized workers about their support for the union.The case involved a Mack Truck dealership that had recently changed ownership. Several employees allegedly made statements to the new employer indicating they did not want to be part of the existing union. When the […]
A new California law requires you to give employees who are victims of a crime at work written notice informing them they are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits for their injuries, including psychiatric problems. The notice generally must be provided within one working day of the crime and delivered personally or by first-class mail.
In a controversial decision last year, a California Court of Appealruled that you can discharge high-earning employees over age 40and replace them with lower-paid workers, provided your motivationis to save money and not discriminate against older employees. The California Supreme Court recentlyrefused to review the ruling. But now, two important proposalsare pending in Sacramento that would, […]