Preview / Hot News
► Handling Time Off Requests for Religious Observance
October 18, 2022
The holidays are just around the corner, and like every year, employers should start bracing for time-off requests. Many requests may be for religious observation. Employers should be aware and mindful of how they address requests. Indeed, according to statistics compiled by the U.S. Equal ...
► Employee Halloween Costumes Can Give HR a Scare
October 14, 2022
Deciding whether to allow employees to dress up for Halloween can be a tricky question. Every year we see costumes in the news that cause public uproar. You don't want the news article to be about one of your employees. Think through the issue carefully before you decide. Keep the Spirit ...
► Time to Revisit and Update Your COVID-19 Policies
October 12, 2022
During July 2022, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) updated its COVID-19 workplace guidance. The new standards set forth important updates and clarifications regarding COVID-19 testing, vaccine mandates, and disability and religious accom-modations in the workplace. Employers ...
► Honesty is the Best Policy in Litigation
October 10, 2022
A recent jury award of $7 billion proves the best course of action to take when being accused of any wrongdoing is to tell the truth. Facts On December 12, 2019, Roy James Holden, Jr., stabbed 83-year-old Betty Jo McClain Thomas to death inside her own home. He hadn’t broken into ...
► Gig is Up: Uber Agrees to Pay $100 Million in Dispute
October 7, 2022
There’s a growing tendency for workers to request mobility in the labor market. Coupled with this is a growing tendency for businesses to classify workers as independent contractors instead of employees. This phenomenon has been dubbed a “gig” economy. Recently, Uber agreed to ...
► Know Your Obligations to Employees on Military Leave
September 26, 2022
Most HR professionals are aware that under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) and similar state laws, they have to provide military leave for employees with military service obligations, such as those who serve in the National Guard and military reserves, and ...
► How to Handle Anonymous Workplace Complaints
September 23, 2022
When employees with a workplace complaint are uncomfortable associating their name with the problem, filing an anonymous complaint is sometimes the chosen route. In days of yore, many employers resisted investigating anony-mous complaints for a variety of reasons, including potential workplace ...
► NLRB Decision Affects Rules Against Wearing Union Insignia
September 22, 2022
A recent decision from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is seen as making it more difficult for employers to prohibit employees from wearing union insignia or apparel. On August 29, the NLRB issued a decision in Tesla, Inc., in which the Board overruled a decision that gave ...
► Prayer Meetings Lead to EEOC Lawsuit
September 20, 2022
The Charlotte District Office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has sued another North Carolina company, this time for alleged religious discrimination. The case serves as a reminder of the care that must be taken when an employee objects to the religious practices of the ...
► New DOL Guidance Addresses FMLA Mental Health Leave
September 14, 2022
The past few years have heightened feelings of stress and isolation for many people, and with the seemingly continuous news cycle of incidents of mass violence, mental health has taken a much-needed place in the fore-front of the national conversation. Recently, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) ...
