Blog
FAIR AND BALANCE – HARASSMENT AND DISCRIMINATION WORKPLACE INVESTIGATIONS
A strong policy prohibiting harassment and discrimination is worth little if an investigation over a complaint is badly handled. Among the important rules: Don’t Delay – Failing to start or complete an investigation promptly creates a potential claim that the company condoned the alleged misconduct, thus increasing the risk of a legal claim; Ensure no […]
DEFINING EMPLOYEE PRIVACY
When Does Legitimate “Need-to-Know” Cross the Line? Businesses have valid interests in accessing potentially sensitive employee information as long as that access is reasonably necessary to maintain workplace safety and security. On the other hand, companies must respect worker privacy on matters that are irrelevant to administration and operations. Clear, comprehensive written policy is essential […]
FORUM ON YOUTH VIOLENCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Saturday, April 30, 2011 9:30 A.M. – NOON Youth for Human Rights International and United for Human Rights present A Community Forum on Youth Violence and Human Rights Brunch, with presentations and panel to follow Church of Scientology of Pasadena Chapel 35 S. Raymond Ave, Pasadena, CA 91105 RSVP:(626) 583-6600 Photo: Pierre Holtz. […]
NEW COSTUMES LEAD TO FIRING OF NJ CASINO SERVERS
When Katharyn Felicia was told that she and other cocktail waitresses at Resorts Casino Hotel were to pose for photos in skimpy new flapper costumes, she thought it was to evaluate the sexy black outfits to make sure they fit and looked right. What the women didn’t know, she said, was that the photo shoot […]
JOB DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THE UNEMPLOYED
EEOC’s Recent Hearing on Out-of-Work Job Applicants In Being Unemployed Just Got Harder (February 16, 2011), we reported the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) impending hearing on a possible national trend of hiring only those currently employed — a choice certainly not likely to help the country’s unemployment challenges. In a post-hearing statement, EEOC […]
EMPLOYEE MEAL PERIODS AND REST BREAKS
California’s Basic Requirements for Daily R&R California hourly workers are entitled to certain rest and meal breaks depending on how many hours they work in a given day. The basic rules: employers must provide an unpaid off-duty meal period at least 30 minutes long for every 5 hours in a workday, and 10 minute paid […]
WHEN EXTRA HOURS ARE NOT OVERTIME
Same-Week Makeup Time in California California is one of a minority of states that requires higher pay for daily overtime, after eight hours of labor. This could discourage companies from permitting employees to make up time taken for important engagements by adding hours onto another day’s work. However, following certain guidelines will permit a worker […]
PRAYER MEETINGS IN THE WORKPLACE
More on Accommodating Employees’ Religious Beliefs As our planet’s civilizations and cultures continue to combine and intertwine, the importance of workplace respect for diverse religious backgrounds also grows. For the increasing number of business owners and managers that seek to include or permit religious prayer sessions or other observances on the work premises, an understanding […]
EMPLOYEE TRAINING PROGRAMS
When Employers Must Compensate for Worker Education Must an employer pay a worker for the latter’s training hours? Like most areas of employment law, the answer is: “It depends.” The basic question is whether an employee is pursuing that training a) to become more knowledgeable and skilled at his/her current position (in which case, the […]
GRADING EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE
Employers Should Not Flunk the Process Properly conducted employee performance evaluations can be an excellent tool for enhancing management – workforce communications. Such assessments provide administrators the opportunity to communicate their views to a worker on that person’s performance before a bad habit becomes a destructive disruption. Employees may use the process for communicating satisfaction […]