If only I had a nickel for every time someone asked me, “How do you have time to blog every day?” The answer is simple: Jolt Cola Juleps and rogue Keebler Elves I just enjoy writing. But even so, it can get tiring sometimes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZdjJdOzN5QI was discussing this with a…
The Employer Handbook Blog
No FMLA claim for employee who mistakenly thought he was fired
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before… Employee gets bad performance review. Employee laments to HR about the pressures of work. Employee emails a company vice president requesting that he stop propagating company “propaganda”. Employee accuses another employee of “dismantling the Spanish Department” Employee attempts to mass email the…
More office romances; more anti-harassment training
A recent survey by Workplace Options, shows that most Generation-Y employees believe that an office romance will have a positive influence on performance and overall workplace morale. Sounds like a Cialis commercial. Who says I need to wait for Valentine’s Day for this post? Losers, that’s who. Lock the broom…
New NLRB election rules may get derailed; plus more on SNOPA
Two quick updates for you today; one labor, one employment. Word has trickled in that the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia held a conference call with lawyers from the National Labor Relations Board, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, and informed…
New federal law will bar employer demands for online passwords #SNOPA
The NLRB’s blueprint for “quickie” union elections
“Blueprint”? Word. But, do you know how tough it is to find a blog-appropriate Jay-Z hit? Hmmm…let’s try this one. On Tuesday, the National Labor Relations Board’s “quickie” election rules survived a Senate challenge. Next week, April 30 to be exact, they go into effect. Hey! Isn’t that when the…
5 takeaways from the EEOC’s new guidance on use of criminal records
Yesterday, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued updated Enforcement Guidance on employer use of arrest and conviction records in employment decisions under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (Title VII is the federal statute that prohibits discrimination in the workplace based on race, color, religion,…
NLRB “quickie” election rule survives a Senate challenge
Last week was not so good for the National Labor Relations Board. The DC Circuit iced a Board rule that would have required most private-sector employers to post a notice in the workplace informing employees of their right to form a union. Yesterday, however, the pendulum swung the other way…
Failure to provide timely COBRA notice, retaliation? No, Sensei!!!
Workplace retaliation was the last thing on the mind of Cobra Kai Sensei John Kreese when he told Johnny to sweep the leg. Similarly, workplace retaliation was likely the last thing on the mind of the defendant-employer, in Thompson v. Morris Heights Health Center, when it sent out a late…
An HR primer on handling religious-accommodation requests
Do you know what to do if an employee comes into your office asking for a shift change or some other workplace accommodation because of a sincerely-held religious belief? A short lesson from a recent federal-court decision and a few tips after the jump… * * * In Jackson v.…