A federal court in Ohio granted an asphalt company’s motion for summary judgment on an employee’s age discrimination claims. Here's why the employer was able to nip this case in the bud. From 2014 until 2021, Rick Bowersmith worked at…
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More than half of employers (55%) are having some kind of conversation about workplace mental health, according to a survey of workers and employee benefits leaders by Lyra. However, that also means 45% of employers are not openly talking about…
One way to prove unlawful sex-based pay discrimination is to show that an employee of a different sex does a similar job but gets paid more. But to win in this way, the plaintiff must show that the other employee…
A security services provider will pay more than $1.1 million following a DOL investigation that found it wrongfully deducted meal break time for hundreds of employees. The DOL’s Wage and Hour Division investigated Universal Protection Service LP, which does business…
Sometimes, the hidden risk poses the greatest danger. Dolgencorp, LLC, which does business as Dollar General, has agreed to pay $1 million and take other steps to settle an EEOC lawsuit that accused it of violating federal law by requiring…
Catfishing – pretending to be someone else online – has become a widespread and well-known phenomenon in the past several years; so common, in fact, that it has spawned its own TV show and its own dictionary definition. And, as…
Beginning at the start of next year, a pair of California state law amendments will increase the employment law rights of marijuana users in the state. In combination, the amendments generally bar employers from discriminating based on the use of…
Among the more head-spinning laws HR has to grapple with, the Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ranks near the top of the list. ERISA, which sets federal rules for health and retirement plans, lays out specific requirements about what…
Open enrollment is just around the corner, and HR departments need to prepare to answer questions, correct issues and manage all of the other stress that comes with this time of year. And the process isn’t easy for employees, either:…
You might think you know all the ins and outs of when time worked by employees -- including OT -- must be paid. After all, it sounds like a pretty simple question, right? But as savvy HR pros know, even…
In Idaho, a doggie daycare facility and its former owner will pay $50,000 in general and punitive damages to resolve two former employees’ whistleblower complaints, the DOL announced in a press release. Two employees filed whistleblower complaints with…
Under the ADA, a broad variety of accommodations may need to be provided to applicants and employees with disabilities. Both the statute and implementing regulations demonstrate this breadth by providing specific examples of changes that may be required as reasonable…
Even if a six-figure payout doesn’t make you cringe, the details of this lawsuit probably will. A woman in Virginia was fired for "suspicion of contraband" because she wore a tampon at work. Here’s the rest of the story: Body…
Employers must follow the PUMP Act and Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. But it may take offering family health benefits - and going beyond what's legally required - in order to stand out in a competitive hiring market. This includes paid…
An onslaught of new lawsuits filed by the EEOC near the end of September demonstrates the wide scope of protection afforded to applicants and employees with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In five federal lawsuits filed within…
For HR pros, it’s a long-standing principle that company documentation can make or break an employer in court. On one hand, solid documentation can protect employers from potential legal trouble. But on the other hand, paperwork mistakes (like these common…
