The Employer Handbook Blog

It’s hard to believe what may pass for age discrimination these days.

April 25, 2016 | by Eric B. Meyer

Hi there.

Did you have a nice weekend? Overall, I did too. However, Saturday was rough. How rough? On a scale of 1-10, it was Chuck E. Cheese.

Sunday improved. Mildly.

But, now I’m in a coffee shop, sans kids, sans ball pits, costumed rats, and shopping carts. Instead, I’m nicely caffeinated, listening to a Spotify playlist of Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs of All Time, wondering how House of Pain’s Jump Around didn’t make the list and punching out a blog post on age discrimination to you fine folks.

The one they called “Grumpy Old Bastard” lost his age discrimination case.

April 22, 2016 | by Eric B. Meyer

Only law blog with this pic. Fo Shizzle.

If only someone would’ve created a Grumpy Old Men / Wu-Tang Clan mashup. ODB passing the verse to Walter Matthau…

Oh well, you’re stuck with me blogging about an age discrimination case from the Northern District of Indiana. At least I’m off of the FLSA soapbox…for now.

Big Business tries to slow DOL’s roll on it’s new overtime rules. Don’t hold your breath…

April 21, 2016 | by Eric B. Meyer

Rather than jump from my wage and hour soapbox — the hella-best soapbox in town — I’m going to step down slowly.

For you, my HR brothers and sisters, I need to testify a bit longer.

If this FLSA mess doesn’t have you calling your employment lawyer, not sure what will.

April 20, 2016 | by Eric B. Meyer

The U.S. Department of Labor announced on Monday that “a human resources outsource provider will pay $1 million in back overtime wages and damages combined to hundreds of employees after a U.S. Department of Labor investigation that found widespread Fair Labor Standards Act violations.”

So what did a human resources provider do wrong?

A pay raise is not discriminatory and eye rolls don’t create a hostile work environment, mmkay?

April 19, 2016 | by Eric B. Meyer

Reading yesterday’s post about religious accommodations and Flying Spaghetti Monsters may have had you rolling your eyes like — who is that old guy? Tony Danza?

Just kidding, I know my 80s TV. It’s Corbin Bernsen.

You guys don’t have to let employees pray to a Flying Spaghetti Monster. Probably.

April 18, 2016 | by Eric B. Meyer

Even a true “Pastafarian.”

Only an FMLA nerd would like this post

April 15, 2016 | by Eric B. Meyer

Hey there, dateless and lonely.

Are you a wait-in-line-after-a-SHRM-event-so-you-can-ask-the-speaker-your-random-FMLA-question-“for a friend”-fanboy/fangirl?

Then, step right up and head on over to Thompson’s HR Compliance Expert for the latest edition of “Opposing Counsel,” where employee-rights attorney, Donna Ballman, and I spike your HR-compliance dork punch with a splash of FMLA. Actually, it’s a double shot of ~~Louis the XIII~~ situations in which HR has to make a tough call about whether an employee is FMLA-eligible.

Medical Marijuana is coming to PA. What do employers need to know?

April 14, 2016 | by Eric B. Meyer

Pennsylvania is about to become the second Commonwealth in the United States to legalize medical marijuana. (23 states — la di da, states — plus DC currently allow it)

Does this mean that employees with migraines can puff vape pens and eat Cheetos in your break rooms at work? Actually, I’m pretty sure that’s not how it works.

Here’s a novel defense to a discrimination claim. (Replace “novel” with “damn near frivolous”).

April 13, 2016 | by Eric B. Meyer

Let’s say that one of your employees forms a corporation. The sole purpose of the corporation is to accept direct payment of wages for the employee. In other words, this arrangement does not affect the employee’s duties or your control over the employee at work. Indeed, maybe you provide the employee with business cards with both your company name and the employee’s name.

Just suppose…

The most essential elements of an employee handbook acknowledgment

April 12, 2016 | by Eric B. Meyer

Right around the time that email subscribers to this blog — you can become one too, you know — receive today’s post, I’ll be sitting on an “Ask the Expert” legal panel at the Lehigh Valley Chapter of SHRM saying lawyerly stuff like…

“It depends.” and “I’ll get back to you on that.” and “Are you serious? Or just asking for a friend.“

One of the questions I know that we’ll get is about employee handbook acknowledgments. Specifically, what should they look like?