Here’s a warning to employers that use a progressive disciplinary system: Follow it—for everyone. Cutting the process short except for good, solid reasons...
Q. We are considering holding, off-site at a park, a “Company Olympics” event featuring sports such as softball and tennis. If an employee were to be injured...
When an employee tells her supervisor she has a disability that makes it hard for her to get to work on time, it’s critical to factor that into any decision to...
Simply comparing the average age of workers before and after a RIF can make it look like age bias played a part in deciding who kept or lost their jobs. Laid-off...
The courts—which have been slammed with retaliation lawsuits—have begun narrowing what they consider retaliation. For example, the 7th Circuit has ruled...
Placing an employee on forced leave can form the basis for a lawsuit, according to a recent 7th Circuit Court of Appeals decision. That’s true even if the forced...
The 7th Circuit recently considered for the first time whether an employee can be individually liable under a “cat’s paw” theory of retaliation under...
The FMLA is difficult to administer, especially now that it has been amended to include additional time off in connection with military service. Plus, new FMLA...
Q. Other than race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, age and disability, are there any other protected classifications under Texas law that might limit an...
The IRS has issued new guidance on an important change for flexible spending accounts (FSAs) beginning in 2013. A $2,500 cap will apply to contributions made to ...
Election Day is just a few months away, and everyone should exercise their franchise. You can help by letting employees take time off from work to vote. In fact, you...
Culture matters. It affects both performance and outcomes. A quick review of early American history shows a parallel between building a house then and building an...
One of the only legally secure ways to protect your company from hostile work environment lawsuits is to provide clear steps for employees to complain. Then...
Q. An employee has requested FMLA leave to care for her 5-year-old niece who is recovering from heart surgery. The employee’s sister and her daughter live with the...
Does swearing energize employees and demonstrate passion? Or does it cast a manager as out-of-control and unprofessional? Generally, the answer is the latter, say...
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits employers from using an individual's race, color, national origin, religion, or sex as a basis for decisions on hiring,...
Introverts may be less noisy, but they actually outnumber extroverts in the workplace. But in today’s extroverted business world, introverts can sometimes feel...
