A teacher who was prohibited from wearing a MAGA hat at training sessions will proceed with a First Amendment lawsuit following a ruling by a federal appeals tribunal. The case highlights a basic but critical distinction between public and private…
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Race discrimination is bad enough, but an Oklahoma-based company recently learned the hard way that adding a retaliation mistake on top of that can lead to hefty settlements. American Piping Inspection, Inc. has agreed to pay $250,000 to settle a…
Different employees have different work styles. Some like to find a “work-life harmony” – focused less on creating an equal balance between work and life, these workers try to find a harmonious relationship between work and life. And those who…
Employers have a legitimate interest in preventing FMLA abuse. But of the tools at their disposal to fight that fight, is conducting surveillance on employees one they should use? The short answer: Surveillance is perfectly fine as long as there…
Work-from-home arrangements were always a potential accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and they became generally more prominent when the now-lingering pandemic first hit. But despite their proliferation, some employers are continuing to run into trouble when it…
JDKD Enterprises, the owner/operator of several McDonald’s franchises in New Jersey, has agreed to pay $100,000 to settle a lawsuit filed on behalf of an autistic employee. The EEOC claimed the franchisee fired an employee who worked at several McDonald’s…
You may know from personal experience that being an HR department of one is challenging. But there are several things you can do to make it easier to be successful in that role. Lori Kleiman, SPHR and SHRM-SCP, president of…
Employers who find themselves in the midst of a labor practices probe by the feds have the right to prepare to defend themselves, including by talking to their employees. But as a new ruling from the federal National Labor Relations…
The holidays are here and it’s time to start thinking about end-of-year celebrations and rewards like holiday gifts. Many companies are accustomed to giving a small gift to employees during this season as an appreciation of employees’ hard work and…
Iowa's highest court ordered a school district to reinstate a fired teacher who had been placed on a performance improvement plan (PIP) and remanded her case to the district court for further proceedings. After receiving an unsatisfactory classroom evaluation, a…
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a white employee’s reverse discrimination claim. William Groves is a white athletic director who worked at the district for years. In 2017, he applied to serve as Corporation Director of Athletics. The superintendent,…
If you haven’t noticed, you probably will soon. Flu season came unusually early this year. The latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that from Oct. 1, 2022, through Nov. 26, 2022, there were: 8.7…
Terminations can be tricky – especially when an employee has recently been out on medical leave. Case in point: A company fired an employee four days after she returned to work from a medical leave due to a head injury…
Any HR pro passionate about DEI efforts knows that making LGBTQ+ employees feel safe and included in the workplace is essential. Making the push for inclusion may look like using inclusive language, providing education to non-LGBTQ+ employees and ensuring a…
When employees are feeling the impact of disruptions like a death, divorce or life-changing diagnosis, what's an appropriate way to show workplace empathy? A survey by Businessolver showed that workplace empathy, which can promote resilience among your people, can also…
Inflation and a looming recession are stressing employees across the globe so much that they’re looking for better-paying jobs. True, this has been going on for a while now. But the point is, it’s not stopping and it’s not getting…
