Most companies have instituted policies regulating written warnings for employees. Such policies have, in fact, become standard operating procedure for many firms. No Florida or other state or federal law covers procedures for written disciplinary notices. The process has been established simply because it is the best
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Some employees take smoking breaks. Others take breaks to enjoy a coffee and doughnut. Why, then, should a New York employee not be allowed to use the break time to practice his or her religious belief? That is one useful approach employees could take when
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Employers in Missouri as well as the rest of the U.S. are legally required to make what are called “reasonable accommodations” for a worker’s “sincerely held” religious beliefs. Since 9/11, religious discrimination against Muslims in the workplace has led to several court cases. Dress code
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Many employees in Michigan have questions about hostile work environments. The hostile work environment is one of the most misunderstood concepts in Human Resources. This is partly because it is regularly misused in the popular media, including sitcoms like The Offi ce, starring comedian Steve Carell.
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The majority of the health and pension plans established by private industry are covered under ERISA (Employment Retirement Income Security Act of 1974). This law applies to employees in New Hampshire and across the country. ERISA was enacted to set minimum standards for health and pension plans, including 401k
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Several federal laws and court cases mandate that an employee’s personal data be kept confidential. This data includes age, race, gender, country of origin, religion, color, medical condition and disability status. Federal law requires employers to keep disability information separate from the employee personnel files, and to keep it
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Nebraska employees wonder exactly what type of information is considered confidential, and how their “two-lock” system of maintaining confidentiality works. There are several federal laws that require certain types of employee data to be kept confidential, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the
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Terminating an employee is a process fraught with potential complications. That is why employers are advised by the best Human Resources professionals to institute a formal disciplinary policy that includes written warnings. No federal law and no Connecticut or other state law addresses written warnings
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Employers should take steps to protect their employees, and their business, against a major Swine Flu outbreak this winter. This includes encouraging employees to stay at home when they are ill. While there is no need for panic, Swine Flu poses a deadly threat to seniors, small
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Written warnings are a useful tool for employers dealing with intransigent workers. Many employees wonder if they have to sign the written warning. The answer is “no” – but refusing to sign the warning does not make it invalid. They are not covered by federal or
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Employers in Missouri are urged by OSHA to have a plan in place in the event of an influenza epidemic or pandemic. Plans should include keeping contact between employees themselves, or between employees and customers, down to a minimum. The emergency plans might involve allowing
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The workplace has become considerably more accessible to the differently-abled Utah employee in the last 20 years. It was only in 1990 that the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, was passed. Until then, employers were not legally required to make any accommodations for disabled workers. Public
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Many Tennessee employees have asked, “Do I have to sign a written warning?” The answer is no – but refusal to sign really does not change anything. The warning still “counts” and the employee can still be terminated, even if the employee refuses to sign the written warning.
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Employees in Illinois receiving minimum wage receive some of the best rates in the country at $8.00 per hour starting July 1, 2009. On that date, the Illinois minimum wage went to $8.00 an hour, putting it on a par with California, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. It joined
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Paid travel time is a popular topic among Mississippi employees. For instance, if an employee drives from job site to job site everyday, is that travel time considered paid time? The answer lies in the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA). This federal law established minimum
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Many employees have questions about a potential Wisconsin Swine Flu outbreak. An influenza pandemic (a global epidemic) hasn’t occurred for over a century. In 1918, the Spanish Flu afflicted 50% of the world’s population, killing around 50 million people more than all the lives lost in World War I.
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In 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill (ENDA) which would outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation. The Senate, however, failed to pass the law in that legislative session. In order for discrimination based on sexual orientation to become illegal in the U.S., ENDA or
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For the past few years, OSHA has recommended that Louisiana employers have plans in place to handle a major influenza epidemic just as they would any emergency. To assist employers, OSHA has released OSHA guidance on Swine Flu Preparedness and Preparing Workplaces for an Influenza Pandemic . Louisiana employers
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Many states have established laws against sexual orientation discrimination. Some states apply the laws to housing, some to employment and others to both. New Jersey is an example of a state with a sexual orientation discrimination law that applies to both employment and housing. The LAD (Law Against
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OSHA has been recommending that Montana employers develop and implement a plan to handle a global influenza epidemic for the last several years. Few companies acted on OSHA’s warnings until the recent outbreak of Swine Flu (Influenza 2009 H1N1 Flu.) To assist Montana employers and employers throughout
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In the near future, there may be a federal law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation. A bill (ENDA) passed the U. S. House in 2008, but was not passed by the Senate. A similar bill will probably be introduced within the next 4 years. Currently, however,
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Many Kansas employees wonder if it is legal for an employer to impose a minimum height or weight as a job requirement. In most cases, the answer is no. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from discriminating against employees
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Several employees in Rhode Island wonder if it is legal for an employer to set a minimum height or weight as a requirement for employment. In most cases, the answer is no. Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a policy that limits opportunities
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Many Arizona employees misunderstand the concept of a hostile work environment. Sex discrimination results when a person is discriminated against because of his or her gender. Sexual harassment, for example, is a type of sex discrimination. Sexual harassment occurs when an employee receives unwelcome sexual advances, requests
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Many employees have questions about the meaning of sex discrimination under the federal law. Sex discrimination doesn’t have to involve physical contact. Creating a situation where the employee is subjected to sexual, abusive contact because of his or her gender is also discrimination. This type of sex discrimination creates
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In 1990, the United States passed a landmark law called the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under this law, employers were required to make “reasonable accommodations” for disabled employers. What constitutes “reasonable accommodation” can vary depending on the employer and on the job. For example,
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Because there are no federal or Missouri laws governing disciplinary procedures for employees, Human Resources professionals developed some methods that have become standard operating procedure. The method most often used by Missouri employers is the formal, progressive disciplinary procedure. This procedure includes giving the employee a verbal
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Some Iowa employees have wondered if there is an Iowa or federal law that protects workers from age discrimination. The answer is yes. There are two federal laws that prohibit age discrimination. The ADEA (Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967) prohibits discrimination due to a worker’s
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There are two different federal laws that protect Rhode Island employees from discrimination due to age. First, the ADEA (Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967) prohibits job discrimination in employment practices based on age for workers 40 years old or older. Under ADEA, employers cannot use
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Under the federal discrimination laws, creating a hostile work environment is a form of discrimination and is illegal. The term “hostile work environment” was first coined in relation to sexual harassment where an employee is exposed to insulting or abusive behavior because of his or her gender.
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