Category: HR Management & Compliance

There are dozens of details to take care of in the day-to-day operation of your department and your company. We give you case studies, news updates, best practices and training tips that keep your organization fully in compliance with ever-changing employment law, and you fully aware of emerging HR trends.

protest

Groups Planning May 1 General Strike: Are You Prepared?

Aiming to build on recent “day without” protests, some labor unions and other organizations around the United States have begun formally announcing their plans for a coordinated “general strike” on May 1 and have threatened to boycott any businesses that stand in their way.

Kentucky

Was Attendance an Essential Job Function for AT&T Customer Service Rep?

An AT&T customer service representative (CSR) recently filed a lawsuit against her employer citing disability discrimination, but the employer, citing attendance as an essential job function of her position, claimed she was terminated for her frequent absences. Was the employee discriminated against? The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals—which covers Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee—has the answer.

Senate confirms ‘proemployer’ Gorsuch to Supreme Court

The Senate has confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch. Because Gorsuch is known for adhering to the letter of the law, his confirmation likely is good news for employers, experts say. Democrats initially filibustered Gorsuch’s confirmation, but Republicans invoked the “nuclear option” and changed the Senate rules to allow […]

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Coordinating FMLA with USERRA

In this article series, we’ll focus on the intersection of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and how it affects many other laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), workers’ comp, and other state laws that apply to medical or disability leaves. Additionally, the FMLA may intersect with a variety of employer-provided leaves […]

Sexual Harassment

Mentor Sued for Sexual Harassment Points to Lack of Training as Excuse

A male scientist allegedly expressed his interest in having a sexual relationship with a female graduate student on numerous occasions while mentoring her on remote research excursions deep in the woods of Alaska. The student later sued him and the university where she was pursuing a doctorate degree, alleging hostile work environment.

In ‘landmark’ ruling, appeals court says sexual orientation discrimination is illegal

Federal law prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of their sexual orientation, a federal appeals court ruled for the first time on April 4. With its “landmark” ruling, the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals upended three decades of precedent and set up the issue for review by the U.S. Supreme Court, […]