For more than 40 years it has been against the law in Illinois and throughout the U.S. to discriminate against employees based on their religion or religious practices. The applicable federal law is Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The law not only prohibits
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In Idaho and elsewhere throughout the U.S., it is an example of illegal religious discrimination when an employer refuses to allow a worker to take prayer breaks at work. The applicable law is Title VII of the Civil Rights Ac t of 1964. Under the law, employers
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No federal law mandates or speaks to written warnings for employees. In fact, no state laws address the matter, either. Most companies, however, have developed what is called a formal and progressive discipline procedure. The typical policy allows for one or more verbal reprimand or warning, usually
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An Indiana business owner wants to know, “Can I grant comp time to workers instead of paying overtime?” Across the state, an employee writes, “I was just recently hired in an hourly job. My new employer very graciously agreed to give me two weeks of unpaid vacation,
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Illinois employees are wondering if their benefit funds are protected by law. The answer is yes, for most plans. The majority of private industry pension and health plans, including 401ks are protected by ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974). This federal law applies to Illinois
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If an employer has a union contract in place which requires the employees to be paid for sick leave, that employer must provide paid sick leave. If there is no contract in place, the employer doesn’t have to provide any sick days at all. Sick leave is
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According to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), an employee’s disability information must be kept confidential. Other federal laws, such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, mandate that certain types of employee data can be
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Rhode Island utilizes the “two-lock” system to maintain confidentiality of an employee’s privileged information. Rhode Island law doesn’t address the exact parameters of the lock system so many employers and employees wonder how the system works. The two lock system is a safe, and probably the most
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“Reasonable accommodation” is a phrase often heard when discussing issues of accessibility in the Connecticut workplace. What does it mean? How should it be interpreted? The term comes from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), passed in 1990. According to this federal law, businesses must
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Most employers and employees know that it is illegal to discriminate in against disabled workers when it comes to hiring, training, promotions, working condition, discipline, and the like. Most of them also realize that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires firms to make reasonable
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Two federal agencies have taken actions that employers should be aware of regarding the possibility of Swine Flu, the CDC and the Department of Homeland Security. The Homeland Security Department’s Secretary, Janet Napolitano, has declared a U.S. public health emergency. In April of 2009, the CDC issued
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Many employees mistakenly think that if they refuse to sign a written warning, it doesn’t count. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most large companies do it as a matter of standard operating procedure. The best Human Resources professionals strongly advise employers to pursue it.
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Whether it is in Alabama or elsewhere in the U.S., employers these days must make “reasonable accommodations” for disabled employees. Under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), reasonable accommodations are the law of the land. While the ADA mandates that employers in Alabama and
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Every Arizona employer should have a plan in place for dealing with a swine flu epidemic this winter. Some agencies have already taken action. The CDC, for example, issued an alert on Swine Flu in April of 2009. Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security,
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Oklahoma employees wonder if employers are required to provide employee with paid holidays. No. There is no Oklahoma or federal law that requires a company to give workers paid holidays. Most companies do, though. Generally, employers provide workers with 5 to 7 paid holidays per year.
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Both federal and Tennessee laws require that employers pay overtime to workers who put in over 40 hours in one week. There is no law, however, that requires employers to provide employees with paid holidays, or to pay extra to employees who work on holidays. Human
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Small business owners need to update their Illinois minimum wage posters this summer as the state rate increased yet again. This summer, the minimum wage in Illinois is tied for fourth-highest in the U.S. Only Washington, Vermont and Oregon will have higher minimum wages. Illinois
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Illinois is joining the ranks of the 10 % of states with the highest minimum wages nationwide. As part of a statutory automatic increase of 25 cents an hour, the Illinois minimum wage increased to $8.00 per hour on July 1, 2009. That is up from $7.75 per
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Many Michigan workers have questions about paid travel time during the workday. If the job requires traveling from job site to job site, is that considered paid time? Is travel time to the first job site of the day paid time? The relevant law is the federal
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Pennsylvania employers have wondered how many smoking breaks per day they are legally obligated to give employees. The answer is none. Pennsylvania employers are not legally obligated to provide any smoking breaks, ever. No federal law mandates it, nor is there a Pennsylvania law requiring
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North Carolina does not have a law on the books to address light duty restrictions in the workplace. There is no federal law on this subject, either. Employers are permitted to establish their own policies for light duty. The U. S. Department of Labor has formulated some
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In the event of a pandemic (a global epidemic), Iowa employers and those throughout the nation should already have a plan in place to handle the problem. OSHA has been recommending this step for at least 5 years. Unfortunately, until the recent outbreak of Influenza 2009 H1N1 Flu (
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Maine employers are not required to provide smoking breaks for their employees. There is no state law mandating these breaks, nor is there a federal law. In fact, employers are not required by law to provide any breaks at all. Any worker over the age of 18 can be
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Discrimination is prohibited by many federal laws. One of the most notable laws on this topic is Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex and religion. Other federal laws soon followed, prohibiting discrimination against persons with
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Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination against employees due to race, color, sex, religion and country of origin. Under this law, any practice which discriminates against these groups in hiring, terminating, training, and other aspects of employment is illegal. Some Alaska employees
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Maryland employees wonder if there are any safety tips for using ATVs. Yes there are. ATVs have become more and more popular in industries such as construction and landscaping. Though these vehicles look like toys, they can be dangerous. As their use increases, so do the ATV-related
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Discriminating against someone at work because of their religion is illegal. Washington employers are legally obligated to make “reasonable accommodations” for a worker’s religious beliefs under federal law. The relevant law is the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, specifically Title VII. Under Title VII, employers are
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Some Delaware employers have wondered exactly what constitutes “reasonable accommodations” for disabled workers. The answer is “reasonable” depends on the job and on the employer. For example, installing a wheelchair ramp, a cost of around $400, could be considered a reasonable accommodation even for a
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Age discrimination against employees 40 to 70 years old is generally illegal in Colorado, under federal law. However, in several cases, courts have recognized age as a “bona fide qualification”. This applies to both older and younger employees. Occupations involving public safety are a good example. Police departments have
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A Georgia employer is tired of immature employees and enacts a plan to hire only applicants over the age of 25. Several Georgia workers have wondered if this practice is discrimination. The answer is no. Hiring only applicants over the age of 25 does not constitute age
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