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The Employer Handbook Blog

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Short of denying leave, an employer can still violate the FMLA just by discouraging someone from taking it

Two posts in one week about interference with Family and Medical Leave Act rights. The FMLA prohibits employers from interfering with, restraining, or denying the exercise of FMLA rights. On Wednesday, we discussed how an employer doesn’t interfere with FMLA when it does not provide FMLA leave to an employee…

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Employers are singing the praises for the EEOC’s online mediation program

As an employment law mediator, my resume includes many years of private practice and service to some federal courts. But I cut my chops at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and have remained a volunteer mediator with the EEOC for over a decade. If anyone asked me what I…

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Is lower co-worker morale reason enough to deny a religious accommodation?

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on religion. This includes refusing to accommodate an employee’s sincerely held religious beliefs or practices unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship. An “undue hardship” results in more than a de minimis cost to the employer.…

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Five ways that employers botch FMLA for mental health conditions (and how to get it right instead)

May is Mental Health Month. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, which enforces the Family and Medical Leave Act, just dropped some additional resources for workers on their rights to take leave for serious mental health conditions and for employers to better understand how to comply with…

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Lawyers and HR professionals weigh in on Josh Donaldson’s ‘Jackie’ comment. So does Major League Baseball.

On Monday, I blogged about a weekend incident in which New York Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson and White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson in which Mr. Anderson claimed that Mr. Donaldson referred to him as “Jackie,” a reference to Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson. Mr. Donaldson admitted calling Mr. Anderson…

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Supreme Court makes it harder for employers who litigate arbitrable claims to change their minds

In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court ruled yesterday that federal courts may not adopt an arbitration-specific waiver rule demanding a showing of prejudice. Huh? Before translating legalese into plain English, I want to apologize to those expecting the follow-up to yesterday’s post about what Major League Baseball should do…

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What should Major League Baseball do about a white baseball player calling a black player ‘Jackie’ [Robinson]?

During the third inning of Saturday’s game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees, Yankees’ third baseman Josh Donaldson and White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson had to be separated after an exchange of words (and some earlier in the game) in which Mr. Anderson claimed that Mr.…

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California Employers, Are You Prepared For Upcoming Data Privacy Changes?

It was perfect timing, really. A few hours after yesterday’s “New Jersey is back doing New Jersey things, like trying to kill restrictive covenants” post went live, two of my partners at FisherBroyles reaffirmed that California will always be the true OG with this article, “California Employers, Are You Prepared…