If your employee handbook or job-offer letters say new hires will face a 60- or 90-day probation period, you should consider dropping that policy or, at the very least,...
Issue: Should you set a probation period for new employees? Risk: It can jeopardize your employment-at-will rights by implying that once the period ends, employees...
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) says you must make accommodations to let disabled employees perform the essential functions of their jobs. But regular, on-time...
Hammer home safety rules to new hires before they start. Don't expect on-the-job experience to teach them the safety ropes. Reason: New employees suffer the most says a...
Issue: A new court ruling makes it more difficult to stop former employees from blitzing your workplace with e-mail messages, including those that criticize ...
If your organization must keep track of workplace injuries on the OSHA 300 Form, take note: You are required to include employees' ergonomic-related injuries (such as...
The legal risks of providing references on ex-employees has caused some companies to put up a "No references" sign. That's not a smart move. Eventually, refusing ...
The American Bar Association's latest survey of ADA employment discrimination cases says companies prevail 94.5 percent of the time in court and 78.1 percent of the time...
Issue: Letters from the Social Security Administration (SSA) flushed out thousands of illegal aliens working in U.S. companies, creating chaos for HR departments ...
After a construction worker injured his shoulder, had surgery and returned to work, he told his employer he didn't have any disability that would prevent him from doing...
After 18 years as a truck driver, Donald Dilley developed back trouble and was limited by his doctor to lifting less than 60 pounds at a time. Dilley asked for routes ...
Elizabeth Anderson, an office worker for a shipping firm, regularly ended her conversations and written communications with customers with the words, "Have a blessed...
The president of Windermere Relocation Services really wanted to win the Starbucks account. He told Maureen Little, the firm's top corporate services manager, that he...
Issue: In addition to suing the organization, employees may go after you personally in court. Risk: Certain federal employment laws allow employees to sue their...
Alfredo Aviles refused to leave his work site after being suspended. He had to be escorted out by police. When Aviles was later spotted in a car near the entrance, a ...
Dan Jovanovic was one of the tool and die makers that kept the In-Sink-Erator manufacturing plant running. But Jovanovic had an erratic attendance record ...
You already know the topics you cannot discuss at work: personal
disabilities, marital status, lifestyle, pregnancies and the like. But
beyond these basics, there are...
