A truck driver was illegally fired for reporting legitimate safety issues, the Department of Labor (DOL) has determined. OSHA has ordered the employer to pay back wages with interest as well as compensatory and punitive damages. The agency’s federal whistleblower investigation targeted W-L Construction & Paving Inc., which is a subsidiary of CRH — which in…
Intermittent FMLA leave is a giant thorn in the side of HR people everywhere. But not all intermittent leave requests are equal. Here’s a look at some of the most common scenarios, and how to handle them.
OSHA inspectors have determined an animal food producer in Wisconsin exposed employees to combustible dust hazards and cited the employer for a total of two dozen health and safety violations. Here’s what prompted OSHA to propose more than $160,000 in penalties. Combustible Dust Hazards Found, OSHA Says A family-owned business for six generations, Strauss Feeds…
A federal appeals court has ruled that an employer can violate the FMLA even without denying an employee’s request for FMLA leave. How is this possible, you ask? Let’s take a look at what happened in a recent case, which demonstrates the scope of protection the FMLA provides for covered employees. FMLA Leave Spat Develops…
A federal court in New York decided that an employer illegally fired an employee for reporting safety concerns relating to the COVID-19 virus. The employer in this case was an ophthalmologist who fired an employee after she complained about a lack of workplace protocols relating to the virus. Dr. David Kwiat, who operates Kwiat Eye…
As an HR professional, you know that when employees request FMLA leave, those conversations need to be handled carefully. You have to stick to the facts about what the workers need and why. The problem is, some managers may not realize that — and their stray comments could come back to bite you in court. …
If you haven’t heard, the feds just released a new online tool that allows users to search its database and view trends on workplace injuries occurring in states covered by federal OSHA. At first glance, this might sound like a niche tool designed exclusively for safety professionals to, among other things, help them spot potential…
A federal appeals court upheld a jury verdict against an employer that denied an employee permission to move her start time back by one hour to accommodate her disability. A jury determined that the employer denied the employee a reasonable accommodation that she was entitled to receive under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The…
Bark If You’re Dirty, a pet store with locations in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona, has agreed to pay $340,000 and provide additional relief to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on behalf of several female employees. Suit: Women Faced ‘Constant Sexual Harassment’ The EEOC’s lawsuit alleged that a…
