Tag: supervisors

FMLA

Can an Individual Supervisor Be Liable Under the FMLA?

Most supervisors know that they risk personal liability under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Chapter 151B if they sexually harass a subordinate employee. But that isn’t the only way supervisors may be held individually liable in Massachusetts.

Training Mistakes to Avoid—Part 1

As HR faces a crisis of finding enough qualified applicants to fill vacancies, more and more employers are realizing that employee development programs are crucial to getting and keeping talent. Training programs not only help with attraction and retention but also can help the organization grow by helping employees learn new skills. Training can also […]

discrimination

‘But No One Got Hurt!’ Is No Defense to Race Discrimination Claims

A number of court cases have illustrated how employers can find themselves in trouble for comments written via email by managers or other decision-makers that indicate an employee’s protected status (e.g., sex, race, age, or taking qualified leave) played a role in the decision to fire them.  But here we present a unique scenario that […]

Sexual Harassment

Sexual Harassment: Was Employee Subjected to Unwelcome Workplace Harassment?

A recent case from the Tennessee Court of Appeals acts as a reminder of the importance of implementing and enforcing policies aimed at preventing sexual harassment in the workplace. The outcome of the case also shows that while you may not be able to prevent all inappropriate behavior by your supervisors, how you respond to […]

Bereavement Leave Considerations

Employers are in a delicate situation when an employee needs to take bereavement leave—not only must they deal very sensitively with the employee who has suffered a loss, but they also must be sure to handle the situation in a way that is both fair (to all employees) and flexible (since each situation may be […]

Texas

Texas TV Station Gets Cloudy Reception from Court on ADA Claim

As a child, you probably played a game in which one child whispers a “secret” into the ear of another child. The second child then whispers the secret into the ear of a third child and on and on until the last child in the circle whispers the secret into the ear of the first […]

Blurred lines: Managers may have right to bargain collectively

by Valérie Gareau-Dalpé In several jurisdictions across Canada, the issue of unionization of managers and supervisors is a thorny one. In many cases, unionization is restricted to “employees,” a definition from which managers are excluded. In the province of Québec, the exclusion is based partly on the potential for conflicts of interest in having managers […]