Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
For the first time since 1960, the Philadelphia Eagles are Super Bowl Champions. Inspired play from backup quarterback Nick Foles and some gutsy moves from coach Doug Pederson propelled the Eagles past the favored Patriots in one of the better games I’ve seen in quite some time. I’m far from a Philly fan, but I […]
by T. Harold Pinkley Participating in last year’s Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia—an event that involved several groups usually identified as the “alt-right,” along with groups protesting the marchers—has proven to have unforeseen and unintended consequences, including job loss, for some of the people involved. This article examines how you can or should […]
by Bonnie M. Boryca The end of the year brings various obligations for employers, along with the opportunity to spread holiday cheer to employees, whether it’s through end-of-year bonuses, time off from work, or company-hosted holiday parties. Unfortunately, examples of litigation arising out of holiday parties are not hard to find. Company-sponsored parties frequently lead […]
by David L. Johnson Recently, a Pennsylvania YMCA stopped showing cable news shows on the TVs in its gym because they were prompting political squabbles among its members. When filtered into the diverse workplace, passionate opposing political viewpoints can harm productivity and morale and even create liability issues for employers. Sometimes political discussions can morph […]
It’s an employer’s nightmare. An employee shows up in a video making the rounds on social media taking part in a protest that includes violent clashes and racist insults. The employer wants no association with such actions and decides to cut ties. Will there be legal trouble if the employee is fired? Possibly, according to […]
Many people enjoy spouting off what they view as 140-character tidbits of wisdom on the social media platform Twitter. But recently several individuals have found themselves in trouble with their employers (read: former employers) for their tweets or other social media posts. One recent example was a loan officer from Michigan who crafted a racist […]
During every political campaign, I am reminded of the notion that if we speak about our co-workers or subordinates in the manner in which the American voter speaks about political candidates, we should expect some remediation by our superiors or human resources. For example, if we question the legitimacy of an employee’s birth certificate, criticize […]
Imagine a guy, a married guy, more specifically an unhappily married guy, and even more specifically an unhappily married guy lacking a moral compass. The guy creates a discrete (ha!) profile on AshleyMadison.com, a dating website for married people whose tagline is “Life is Short. Have an Affair.” No need to prowl hotel bars at […]
Learning that a trusted employee has been arrested and accused of theft is always alarming, but the question of what to do—suspend, terminate, or wait and see how the case plays out—adds even more stress. Recently, several attorneys who represent employers were asked what to do in such a situation. Their advice: Suspension or termination […]
by Timothy M. Barber With another round of contentious elections upon us, employers should brush up on federal, state, and local laws related to political affiliation discrimination. The political season Fall in America: football, brightly colored leaves falling, and another cycle of contentious elections. Recent elections have involved important issues affecting businesses and employees—issues that […]