Archive for June, 2007

What To Do When the FMLA Lights Come Up

June 15, 2007 at 2:10 pm by: Alabama Employment Law Letter

You’re sitting in your favorite HR juke joint, crying into your beer over the pain and heartache your employees have caused you this week. After a few cold ones, solving the world’s HR problems begins to look simple.
Then, as you near that moment of perfect clarity, the lights come up and [...]

HR Audit: A Measure of Success

June 15, 2007 at 11:10 am by: North Dakota Employment Law Letter

Not unlike an annual employee performance evaluation, an HR or employment law audit provides an objective means to measure the effectiveness of HR functions with respect to productivity, efficiency, and morale, among others. As a risk-management tool, an audit can identify obsolete or ineffective practices and flag compliance issues. In fact, employment practices liability insurance [...]

It’s the Cover-up, Once Again

June 8, 2007 at 9:48 am by: California Employment Law Letter

by Larry Bumgardner
“It’s the cover-up, not the crime.”
You’ve probably heard that adage hundreds of times. The phrase dates back at least to Watergate days of the 1970s. After the 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee offices at the Watergate complex in Washington, investigative reporters started looking for ties to the [...]

Disaster Preparedness Checklist for Employers: Part 2

June 8, 2007 at 9:43 am by: Louisiana Employment Law Letter

The 2007 hurricane season started June 1, and experts at the National Weather Service’s Hurricane Center predict it’s going to be a busy year. Last week, we examined what employers need to do before disaster strikes. This week, we’ll look at what you need to do during and after a disaster [...]

Bilingual Job Requirement OK’ed by Court

June 1, 2007 at 10:10 am by: Texas Employment Law Letter

Here’s an interesting twist on a question we get all the time. We’re often asked, “Can I have an English-only rule in the workplace?” The answer is generally no, unless there are very strong business reasons dictating it. In this case, the question was, “Can I require a bilingual workforce?” The [...]

Disaster Preparedness Checklist for Employers: Part 1

June 1, 2007 at 9:37 am by: Louisiana Employment Law Letter

As the 2007 hurricane season starts today (June 1), it’s time for employers to review and update their disaster preparedness and response plans. And it’s time to review our updated checklist, originally prepared following our own and others’ experiences from the 2005 hurricane season, including Hurricane Katrina.
The time is right for [...]