The Employer Handbook Blog

Must you produce the workplace investigation report prepared to defend a sexual harassment lawsuit?

April 23, 2018 | by Eric B. Meyer

Image Credit: Pixabay.com (https://pixabay.com/en/safe-vault-lockbox-safekeeping-30110/)

A female employee has just complained to HR that the CEO harassed her. This complaint is the third one against the same alleged harasser. So, you hire an outside attorney to conduct a full investigation anticipating that there might be subsequent litigation. The attorney investigates and furnishes a written report of her findings and conclusions.

If the internal sexual harassment complaint evolves into a lawsuit, and the plaintiff requests a copy of the written report, does the defendant have to turn it over? Continue reading

“I had morning sickness,” said the man. Crazazy excuses for being late to work!

April 20, 2018 | by Eric B. Meyer

chris 論 [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons

I can always count on CareerBuilder to help lighten the mood around here with some good fodder for a Friday post.

Last month, CareerBuilder released the survey results from “This Year’s Most Bizarre Excuses for Being Late to Work.” Continue reading

Starbucks details how, in one afternoon, it will train about 175K employees on racial bias

April 19, 2018 | by Eric B. Meyer

Screenshot taken from https://news.starbucks.com/press-releases/starbucks-to-close-stores-nationwide-for-racial-bias-education-may-29

In a video posted on the company’s website, Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson followed up his initial apology for last week’s incident in Philadelphia with additional details on how the company would try to avoid a similar event in the future. Continue reading

Now THIS right here is some hecka-cold retaliation (allegedly)

April 18, 2018 | by Eric B. Meyer

Image credit: PublicDomainPictures.net (https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=139332&picture=stick-family)

It’s one thing to terminate an employee for complaining that she is being sexually harassed at work. But, when you (allegedly) fire her son and fiancé too without justification, that’s stone cold!

Not that Stone Cold.

But, according to the EEOC, it’s pretty darn bad. Bah Gawd! Continue reading

Bookmark This: Starbucks and a lesson on leadership and accountability

April 17, 2018 | by Eric B. Meyer

Screenshot taken from https://news.starbucks.com/views/a-follow-up-message-from-starbucks-ceo-in-philadelphia

Starbucks was riding a pretty good HR streak in 2018. Among other things, the coffee giant had attained 100% gender and racial equality and announced investments in paid leave. Yep, things were lookin’ really good for Starbucks.

Then, last week, things got really bad. Continue reading

Dear Handbook: Does the FLSA require that non-exempt employees get paid for 16-minutes of intermittent FMLA leave?

April 16, 2018 | by Eric B. Meyer

Image Credit: Pixabay.com (https://pixabay.com/en/two-ginger-cats-licking-loving-650546/)

We’re gonna try a new feature here at The Employer Handbook.

It’s where I take a new U.S. Department of Labor Opinion Letter and tweak it as if someone is asking me for my opinion on the precise legal issue on which the DOL is being asked to opine, but with slightly different facts.

It can’t miss. Continue reading

Can you legally fire an employee who butt-dials you while talking smack about the company…to a co-worker?

April 13, 2018 | by Eric B. Meyer

Image Credit: YouTube Screenshot

I have trained you well. We’re gonna cut the ropes to let you fight Tong Po.

(Maybe, going with a random Kickboxer reference wasn’t the best metaphor for this audience.)

Ok, let’s start over. Continue reading

Can you legally fire an employee who butt-dials you while talking smack about the company?

April 12, 2018 | by Eric B. Meyer

Taken with a selfie stick and way too much effort.

Easy there, folks. My servers can only handle so much traffic on a Thursday. Continue reading

Happy (?) Belated Equal Pay Day

April 11, 2018 | by Eric B. Meyer

Image Credit: Pixabay.com (https://pixabay.com/en/money-finance-business-success-2696238/)

I’ll be honest. Not only am I late by a day in recognizing Equal Pay Day, but I don’t know the etiquette.

Is it “happy”?

I can’t imagine why anyone would be happy about it. Heck, I just Googled and was immediately shown “11 Gender Wage Gap Statistics That Will Scare The Crap Out Of You.” Continue reading

Very special FMLA/ADA greetings from Huntsville, Alabama

April 10, 2018 | by Eric B. Meyer

I took this picture. Not bad, eh?

Filed under: “Didn’t think I’d be saying that in 2018.”

But, it’s all good.

I am grateful to Ben Eubanks and the Northern Alabama Chapter of Society for Human Resource Management for this opportunity to debut my new and improved “My Employees Can Miss How Much Work?!? Managing the Challenges of Leave Under the FMLA and ADA?” to a fantastic audience of HR professionals in Huntsville, AL today.