Picture this: You’ve gone through the interview process and finally found the perfect candidate for a safety-sensitive position – or so you thought. But then his pre-employment drug test revealed the use of opioids. What’s your best move? If you’re…
Employment Law
As you well know, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a constant challenge for HR, requiring you to balance compliance obligations with the needs of both the company and employees who take leave. One of the most common…
As we predicted here a short time ago, newly released EEOC guidance on workplace harassment is facing a courtroom challenge that says some parts of the guidance are not valid. Led by Tennessee, 18 states have sued the EEOC, calling…
Pop quiz: Do you know what to do with incomplete or unclear Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) certifications? Most HR pros agree that FMLA certifications are one of the biggest challenges of the job. Here’s a quick refresher on…
An employee who was denied workers’ compensation benefits after being shot by a co-worker can proceed with a tort claim against his employer, a state appeals court in Florida has ruled. This case involves Giovanni Bastien, who worked at a…
A national home health agency failed to provide adequate safeguards to protect a licensed practical nurse who was killed by a patient during a home visit, an OSHA investigation determined. OSHA cited the company for one willful violation under its…
As an HR pro, you know what NOT to ask during job interviews. But how confident are you in your hiring managers? Have they been given guidelines on how to avoid asking illegal interview questions? And have they also received…
OSHA has proposed that a Wisconsin baking facility operator pay nearly $263,000 in penalties following its investigation into an injury suffered by an employee at the plant. The investigation marked the second time since 2019 that the federal safety watchdog…
Revisions to workers' comp laws could take effect this year and next, promising a more equitable and responsive system for injured employees. These reforms prioritize swift access to medical care and fair compensation for injuries. The forthcoming changes also address…
This case shows just how tricky things can get when the ADA and FMLA overlap. Here, an employee exhausted her FMLA leave and then sought an accommodation: remote work. When the company -- a law firm -- denied her request…
A workers’ comp ruling from Ohio’s highest court reverses decades of precedent and shortens the period during which total temporary disability (TTD) benefits must be paid. This case involves Loretta Dillon, who suffered a work-related back injury near the start…
An OSHA investigation determined a worker died on the job because a Tampa-area construction contractor failed to ensure ground conditions were adequate to support a crane. Here’s what happened. Workplace accident in highway construction zone In October 2023, two Florida…
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has secured an $8.7 million settlement in a case that alleged unlawful race discrimination by the major delivery company DHL. The agency initially brought suit against DHL in September of 2010. It filed the…
Four female employees in Washington state said they endured ongoing sexual harassment at work – but management didn’t do anything to stop it. That’s when the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) stepped in – and the company learned an expensive…
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has determined that a worker died of heatstroke on his first day at work because a farm labor contractor did not do enough to protect its workers from heat-related hazards. In a press…
Trader Joe’s was cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for various safety hazards at one of its stores in Colorado. What’s more, this isn’t the first time the popular grocery store chain has been cited over similar…
