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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
OSHA has proposed more than $1 million in penalties against a Chicago countertop manufacturer that allegedly did not do enough to protect its workers from the danger presented by silica dust. The agency zeroed in on Florenza Marble & Granite…
California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has cited nine employers for silica health and safety violations in the greater Los Angeles area. Cal/OSHA has ramped up enforcement efforts to address the growing number of silicosis cases among stone…
Even many veteran HR pros will admit that they are occasionally stumped by the intricacies of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Case in point: the “key employee” exception. Understanding when to employ this rarely used exception can help…
The EEOC announced that an employer it targeted in a race bias suit will pay $1.25 million and take other significant steps to end the litigation. The defendant in the race bias suit was Asphalt Paving Systems, Inc., which is…
If your company requires employees to work mandatory overtime, it’s important to factor those extra hours into your calculations when determining employees’ FMLA entitlement. Failing to do so can be an expensive mistake, as an Eighth Circuit decision shows. That's…
A contractor was not legally responsible for the death of a laborer who fell to his death while working for a subcontractor, a New Jersey appeals court decided. In April of 2020, Willams Savaria was helping to provide maintenance services…
Let's face it: The Family and Medical Leave Act can be daunting for the most seasoned HR pros. So it's not surprising that managers occasionally get tripped up when the FMLA comes into play. Experts say violations often occur when…
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has ordered a daycare facility to reinstate a fired childcare worker and pay $43,295 in back wages and damages. The employer was also required to pay $5,500 in attorney’s fees. Childcare Worker Shares Concerns…
Among the conditions that may qualify as a “disability” under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and thus require the provision of job accommodation, an employee’s sensitivity to fragrances is probably not near the top of the list that comes…
HRMorning, part of the Rover Insights Network, provides the latest HR and employment law news for HR professionals in the trenches of small-to-medium-sized businesses. Rather than simply regurgitating the day's headlines, HRMorning delivers actionable insights, helping HR execs understand what HR trends mean to their business.
