On Employment Legislation: Just when you thought you had the employment law landscape figured out, along comes pending legislation that could change everything. From age discrimination claims to workplace flexibility to unionization and labor organizing, new bills in the House and Senate may change the way you run your business.…
Articles Posted in Human Resources Policies
The risk of waiting to enforce arbitration agreements with employees
It was just last month that I blogged about arbitration agreement tips for PA employers from the 3rd Circuit. I hate to leave NJ employers out of the loop, so today’s post is for you. Last week, the NJ Superior Court, Appellate Division, in Cole v. Jersey City Medical Center…
4 new employment-law bills now pending in Congress
Below are summaries of four pieces of legislation of which employers should take note: Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act. Senator Tom Harkin (IA-D) introduced this bill last week. It would overturn the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc. and lower the burden of…
Want to keep your job? Don’t do this if you’re bored at work…
Some folks — not you and me, but some folks — can watch porn at work and not get in trouble; they work in the porn industry. When you’re an employee of the courts — a courtroom clerk, to be precise — it’s frowned upon. Oh, you’ll never guess what…
The so-called “privacy” of employee emails
Humblebrag alert. Reporters call me all the time. It’s a wonder that I can get any work done. Why, just last week, I was speaking to a reporter about an action recently initiated by current and former employees of the FDA, alleging that the agency unlawfully monitored their private emails.…
72 ways to prevent an office party from creating an HR hangover
If you read this blog, then I trust you read other HR/Employment-law-related blogs. And, if you do that, prepare for a December-deluge of “Ten Tips for a Safe, Fun, and Legal Holiday Party.” Screw all that! Ten tips is so last year. *** Big dork say “what” *** “What! What!”…
Employer lessons from Penn State (Hint: ignorance is not bliss)
This Jerry Sandusky situation is blood curdling. I won’t rehash the facts. But in case you’ve been living under a rock for the past few days, you can read about them here. I am not going to comment on Penn State’s moral compass. Rather, as a labor-and-employment-law attorney, I see…
Paid-sick leave may become a requirement in Philly after all
On June 29, The Employer Handbook reported here that Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter vetoed the “Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces” bill. This bill would have required businesses to provide paid sick leave to employees who work a minimum number of hours in Philadelphia County. Ah, but the times, they are…
16 best practices for conquering the next natural disaster
Raise your hand if your east-coast business was prepared for yesterday’s earthquake. After the jump, I’ll tell you why you may not have been ready and offer your business 16 ways to prepare for when the next disaster strikes. * * * “Inertia towards normalcy” Last week, my law…
New federal bill would greater protect breastfeeding employees
Rep. Carolyn Maloney [D-NY14] is at it again. A sponsor of a bill that would greatly expand the scope and reach of the FMLA, Rep. Maloney has co-sponsored another bill, the Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2011, which would amend both the Fair Labor Standards Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act…