That’s how I start my next oral argument when defending a claim made under the Americans with Disabilities that one of my employer clients regarded an overweight plaintiff as disabled. So, who wants some of what I’m drinking today? Hey, it’s peppermint tea, jerk! And I’m not pulling this blog…
Here’s a little HR Pro Tip from your old pal, Eric. If, around Halloween time, an employee requests permission to hand out bags of candy containing “gospel tracts,” which depict Muslims and Catholics and state that they should all go to hell, you just go ahead reject that religious-accommodation request.…
Let’s assume that you run a factory in which employees are scheduled on one of two shifts: (1) 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM; or (2) 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM. One of your employees comes to you with a doctor’s note which states that working the graveyard shift will cause…
Just a reminder that some managers still engage in really stupid behavior. I was reading this case about an HR Manager of a dentistry practice. Following an interview between a dentist in her practice and an African-American woman, the dentist allegedly commented to the HR Manager that the person would…
When you think of minor league baseball, you may draw on movies like Bull Durham or The Rookie; long bus trips from stadium to stadium where teams play in front of small crowds for small pay. Well, apparently, the pay may be small enough to trigger a violation of the…
That’s right folks. It’s time for another edition of “Fact or Fiction” a/k/a “Quick Answers to Quick Questions” a/k/a QATQQ f/k/a “I don’t feel like writing a long blog post.” One of your employees is currently using FMLA leave. Today, due to the winter storm, you’ve decided to close the…
When your business offers a severance agreement to a departing employee, does it contain: a general release; a non-disparagement obligation; a confidentiality provision; a covenant not to sue; or a cooperation clause Well, if it contains any one (or more) of these provisions, head over to Jon Hyman’s Ohio Employer’s…
Yesterday, I read a post over at Business Management Daily about an employee who sued for involuntary servitude. Yes, folks. The plaintiff claimed that her former employer had treated her like a slave. Specifically, the plaintiff, a trainee of some sort, alleged that she was never provided with a job…
Late last month, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter signed this bill, which requires reasonable workplace accommodations for employees who have needs related to pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition. As noted in this prior post about Philadelphia’s new law, reasonable accommodations would include, but are not limited to, restroom breaks, periodic…
How about cutting the 50-employee requirement for covered employers in half? So, if you have 25 or more employees working within 75 miles of one another, they would be eligible to take leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. And that’s just part of the Family and Medical Leave…