If your workplace has a "creative" side to it, listen up: A court has ruled for the first time that you can defend a sexual harassment claim by arguing a "creative ...
If you're involved in termination decisions, don't always take supervisors' comments at face value. Consider doing your own investigation before taking action. Your goal...
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires workers to give their employers notice of their need for leave. But you have the right to deny leave when the provided...
Issue: Employees handling your organization's purse strings could be pulling them in the wrong way. Risk: Lax controls leave your organization wide open to invoice...
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 Labor Department issued final rules last month requiring federal contractors to post notices that inform employees of certain union rights under the Supreme Court's...
As a manager, you need to let employees express their religious beliefs while, at the same time, making sure those expressions don’t infringe on the rights of...
Issue: Can you tell an employee to take a bath? Risk: You risk a discrimination claim because, unlike other grooming-policy issues, odor lies in the eye (or nose) of the...
Typically, employees can file Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) lawsuits no later than two years after the alleged violation. But if a worker can prove that your...
Thorough background checks can help you defeat any negligent hiring claim. But what if applicants' background checks come up clean, yet they begin displaying...
The Supreme Court last month handed employers more power to set and enforce policies that deny rehiring to employees fired for misconduct. The court said such...
Before firing anyone, ask yourself the following seven questions. If you answer “Yes” to any, your risk of sparking a lawsuit rises greatly, so contact your...
Issue: Court raises threshold for employees to qualify for FMLA leave. Benefit: Workers can take FMLA leave if they have a serious condition causing three consecutive...
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 ...
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) entitles eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave annually for the birth or adoption of a child,...
You can obtain the best possible results from employment actions simply by performing them on the optimal day of the week, according to outplacement consulting firm...
You've got a new reason to take a harder line on sexual banter and crude antics in the workplace. One of the most conservative courts of appeal sent a clear message ...
