Wage & Hour Disputes With more employees working from home, some workers report that they are busier than ever before participating in zoom calls by day and following up on emails well into the evening hours. When work and home boundaries blur and the amount of hours put in at work start to add up,… Read More »
Covid-19 Vaccination Refusal
An employer may exclude those with Covid-19, or symptoms associated with the virus, from the workplace because “their presence would pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others.” Most employees are willing to do their part, staying home to prevent the spread of the virus, but wonder what will happen when a… Read More »
Fairness in Workplace Drug Testing
When you are injured at work, your employer may require you to take a drug or alcohol test if they believe that the use of drugs or alcohol may have contributed to an injury or accident. As some may recall, in 2016, OSHA issued a rule requiring an employer to have an objectively reasonable basis… Read More »
Additional Paid Leave for Parents During the Pandemic
In Iowa, most businesses are operating and schools are beginning to reopen either on an in person, virtual or hybrid fashion, helping families who lack child care get back to work during the pandemic. However, with the Governor recently ordering the temporary closure of certain business – bars and nightclubs – in a handful of… Read More »
Changes to FMLA Leave in Response to Covid-19 Pandemic
A new bill signed by President Trump changes some of the provisions of the Family Medical and Leave Act (FMLA) in response to the Covid-19 pandemic sweeping the nation. In a nutshell, FMLA is amended (Families First Coronavirus Response Act) to allow U.S. workers employed by private entities or individuals with fewer than 500 employees… Read More »
Falsely Accused of Sexual Harassment
While over 75 percent of those surveyed say that the #MeToo movement has had a positive impact on their employment, 44% of men and 36% of women say that the #MeToo movement has damaged trust between the HR department and employees. For thirty years, HR has been the department charged with preventing, policing and investigating… Read More »
Anatomy of a Sex Discrimination Case
When an employee raises concerns regarding sex discrimination in the workplace, it is the employer’s job to thoroughly investigate the complaint in an effort to resolve the issue. When employers ignore signs of sex discrimination, sometimes they find themselves subject to an employment discrimination lawsuit. A recent article in the Des Moines Register details of… Read More »
New Overtime Pay Rule
This month, a new overtime rule means that over one million workers in the U.S. will see bigger paychecks in 2020. For the first time in 15 years, the Department of Labor has raised the salary eligibility threshold for overtime pay, translating into more money in Americans’ pockets. Prior to the change, federal law provided… Read More »
Online Job Postings Scrutinized for Employment Discrimination
More than a billion people log onto social media platforms such as Facebook or Instagram everyday making it an attractive way for employers to advertise employment opportunities. Social media companies such as Facebook can target online job posting ads geographically so that they appear within a few miles radius of a company or internationally with… Read More »
FMLA Paternity Leave
Research out of Ball State University finds that fathers who take time off when their children are born are more likely to stay involved in parenting and equitably divide household chores for the long term. Paternity leave not only benefits the relationships between fathers and their children, but also the relationship between parents for years… Read More »
