by Martin Salcedo, Esq. - The Human Equation
on 7/9/2014 When has an employer done enough to avoid liability for disability discrimination? Though hard and fast rules are rare in employment discrimination cases, particularly those involving disabilities, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that employers are almost never required to provide more than 6 months leave to an employee with a disability.
The quality versus cost argument is nothing new especially when it comes to insurance. Consumers who pay less tend to get less, whether in the form of coverages, limits or financial security. And, when people choose cost over quality, it usually means they are uninformed about what they really need.
In Hwang v. Kansas State University, an assistant professor working under a one year employment contract was diagnosed with cancer. KSU gave Ms. Hwang a six-month paid leave of absence so she could get treatment. On the advice of her doctor, Ms. Hwang requested additional time off. According to Ms. Hwang, KSU refused her request and effectively terminated her employment.
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Tags: 2014, ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act, Civil Rights Act, Employee Relations and Communication, employee relations and diversity, Employee Status and Job Descriptions, Employment Liability, Florida, government forms, Human Resources, Laws and Regulations, Leaves of Absence, Risk Management, Rules and Conduct, United States Department of Labor, Workplace Rights, Hwang V. Kansas, Kansas State University
Categories: 2014, Human Resources
by Martin Salcedo, Esq. - The Human Equation
on 6/4/2014 Though dealing with a disgruntled employee can be hard, various anti-retaliation protections make it even harder when an employee’s complaints or conduct is protected by law. A 2013 Congressional Report identified 40 different federal whistleblower and anti-retaliation laws, including:
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Tags: Civil Rights Act, FLSA, employee relations and diversity, Employment Liability, Employee Status and Job Descriptions, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Fair Labor Standards Act, Hiring, Human Resources, Laws and Regulations, Productivity and Performance, Reasonable Break Requirement, Reassignment, Risk Management, Rules and Conduct, the employee polygraph and protection act of 1988, The Family and Medical Leave Act, Title VII, Title VII Civil Rights Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Workplace Rights, 2014, Americans with Disabilities Act
Categories: 2014, Human Resources
by Martin Salcedo, Esq. - The Human Equation
on 4/23/2014 Chances are there is a bully in your workplace, and that’s bad for business. The Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI) defines bullying as repeated mistreatment involving physically or verbally abusive conduct that is threatening, intimidating or humiliating, or that interferes with or prevents work from getting done. According to the WBI’s 2014 Workplace Bullying Survey:
- 27% are or have been victims of workplace bullying
- 21% have witnessed workplace bullying
- 23% are aware of workplace bullying
- 65 million workers are affected by workplace bullying
Though the frequency of workplace bullying may come as a surprise to some, the consequences should not. Workplace bullying typically increases employee turnover, decreases productivity, reduces job satisfaction, undermines morale, increases workers’ compensation costs and increases employment-related litigation costs.
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8086562a-eb77-4bb6-9d46-1a7e307704da|0|.0
Tags: 2014, Business Strategy, Contractual and Other Liabilities, Department of Labor, Discrimination, DOL, EEOC, Employment Liability, Fair Labor Standards Act, FLSA, Laws and Regulations, Rules and Conduct, Safety and Health, The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Workplace Harassment and Discrimination, Workplace bullying, bully, Title VII Civil Rights Act, Civil Rights Act, Title VII, WBI, Workplace Bullying Institute
Categories: 2014, Human Resources, Safety
by Martin Salcedo, Esq. - The Human Equation
on 7/17/2013
Who is considered a supervisor under Title VII? Since our last article discussing Vance v. Ball State University, the U.S. Supreme Court has given us the answer. According to the Court, a supervisor is a person
empowered by the employer to take tangible employment actions against the victim; to effect a significant change in employment status, such as hiring, firing, failing to promote, reassignment with significantly different responsibilities, or a decision causing a significant change in benefits.
Vance involved allegations of racial harassment and discrimination in violation of Title VII. Though the parties disputed the precise nature and scope of the harasser’s duties, it was clear that the harasser did not have the power to hire, fire, demote, promote, transfer or discipline the plaintiff. Given the harasser’s inability to take a tangible employment action against the plaintiff, the Court held that the harasser does not qualify as a supervisor under Title VII. More...
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Tags: 2013, Background and Reference Checks, Benefits and Compensation, Benefits and Compensation Administration, bonuses & pay increases, Business Strategy, Contractual and Other Liabilities, Discrimination, EEOC, DOLFMLA, Employee Status and Job Descriptions, Employment Liability, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Laws and Regulations, Managers, Productivity and Performance, Rules and Conduct, Sexual Harassment, The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Workplace Harassment and Discrimination, Workplace Rights
Categories: 2013, Human Resources, Risk Management
by Martin Salcedo, Esq. - The Human Equation
on 4/3/2013 Did you know that individuals can be held personally liable for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)? The FLSA’s broad definition of employer includes “any person acting directly or indirectly in the interests of an employer in relation to an employee.” The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals recently considered when it is appropriate to hold someone personally liable for wage and hour violations under the FLSA.
In Lamonica v. Safe Hurricane Shutters, Inc., former employees sued their employer to recover unpaid overtime wages under the FLSA. The employees also sued two of the corporate-employer’s directors, arguing that they sufficiently controlled the corporation to justify holding them personally liable under the FLSA. To support their case against the directors, the employees showed that: More...
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Tags: 2013, benefits & compensation administration, benefits & compensation administration, Benefits and Compensation, Benefits and Compensation Administration, bonuses & pay increases, Bonuses and Pay Increases, Business Strategy, Employee Status and Job Descriptions, Employment Liability, Fair Labor Standards Act, FLSA, Hiring, Human Resources, Laws and Regulations, Managers, Risk Management, Rules and Conduct, The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), wage & hour, wage & hour, Wage and Hour, Workplace Rights
Categories: 2013, Human Resources, Risk Management
by Martin Salcedo, Esq. - The Human Equation
on 1/29/2013 The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals recently became the first federal appellate court to consider a significant, though rarely publicized, provision of the Affordable Care Act—the reasonable break time requirement for nursing mothers under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
In Miller v. Roche Surety and Casualty, an employee sued her employer alleging a violation of her rights as a nursing mother under the FLSA. Under the FLSA, employers are required to provide reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child. This requirement, which extends for 1 year after the child's birth, requires an employer to provide “a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from coworkers and the public,” so that the employee may express breast milk.
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Tags: 2013, Fair Labor Standards Act, FLSA, Human Resources, Workplace Rights, The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Risk Management, Rules and Conduct, Reasonable Break Requirement, Nursing Mothers
Categories: 2013, Human Resources, Risk Management
by Martin Salcedo, Esq. - The Human Equation
on 11/20/2012 An employer’s liability for sexual harassment under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act depends on whether the harasser is a supervisor. If the alleged harasser is the victim’s co-employee, the employer may have various defenses to liability. However, if the harasser is a supervisor, Title VII’s strict liability standard may be triggered and the employer may be left defenseless.
So, who is considered a supervisor under Title VII?
More... 8a898bca-fca8-4062-ba80-73578b363d6b|0|.0
Tags: 2012, Business Strategy, Discrimination, EEOC, Employee Status and Job Descriptions, Employment Liability, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Fair Labor Standards Act, Human Resources, Laws and Regulations, Managers, Risk Management, Rules and Conduct, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Workplace Rights, Workplace Harassment and Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Obama, Supreme Court, November, Vance v. Ball State University
Categories: 2012, Human Resources, Risk Management
by Anita Byer, President - The Human Equation
on 10/9/2012 For Board Member education as defined by the State of Florida, Click Here. For Community Associtation Manager Continuing Education, Click Here.
During an emergency, decisions need to be made fast. There usually isn’t time to go “by the book.” This is why Florida’s Condominium Act authorizes association boards to exercise additional emergency powers More...
ac988d21-340f-4ac6-899c-cab8f4c34803|0|.0
Tags: 2012, condominium governance, Condominium Management, Laws and Regulations, Rules and Conduct, safety policies and administration, emergency, liability insurance, State of Emergency, Florida
Categories: 2012, Florida Condominium Management, Safety
by Martin Salcedo, Esq. - The Human Equation
on 7/26/2012 Social media websites like Facebook have become the new water cooler. Once discussions (and gossip) about the workplace, supervisors and co-workers moved online, employers started getting curious about who was saying what to whom. More...
by Martin Salcedo, Esq. - The Human Equation
on 2/22/2012 The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals recently answered an interesting and important question regarding the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): Does the FMLA protect a pre-eligibility request for post-eligibility leave? More...
by The Human Equation, Inc.
on 10/18/2010 The halls have been decked, and employees have donned their gay apparel; everyone appears to be in good cheer at the office holiday party, held on a Saturday night at an off-site location. More...
by The Human Equation, Inc.
on 10/14/2010 Diversity in the workplace is a good thing. When men and women of different races, religions, ethnicities, and ages work together in an environment of tolerance and respect, the possibilities are limitless. More...
by The Human Equation, Inc.
on 10/1/2010 Since WWII expanded women's roles into the military and business arenas, women have been making steady and significant strides toward full equality in the workplace. More...
by The Human Equation, Inc.
on 10/1/2010 Over the last 10 years, incidents of sexual harassment in the workplace have dramatically increased. Statistics from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) indicate that the number of sexual harassment complaints received has risen by 30%. More...
by The Human Equation, Inc.
on 1/14/2010 Diversity in the workplace is a good thing. When men and women of different races, religions, ethnicities, and ages work together in an environment of tolerance and respect, the possibilities are limitless. More...
by The Human Equation, Inc.
on 10/30/2008 Our company, which has offices in 11 states, has received numerous inquiries from employees regarding our time-off policy for the purpose of voting in the upcoming general election. More...
by The Human Equation, Inc.
on 10/9/2008 Due to the slowing economy, our company has been forced to downsize its workforce in the past two years, and, as a result, we are no longer large enough for our existing employees to qualify for coverage by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Should we delete any references to the FMLA from our employee handbook? More...
by The Human Equation, Inc.
on 7/25/2008 It has come to my attention that my best cashier recently filed for bankruptcy. I no longer feel comfortable letting him operate the checkout line without supervision, however, I am finding it difficult to watch him all the time. Can I fire this employee based on his bankruptcy filing? More...
by The Human Equation, Inc.
on 5/22/2008 One of my employees, a white man, has been harassed and threatened with termination by his supervisor because he is married to an African-American woman. More...
by The Human Equation, Inc.
on 4/25/2008 One of my employees, after alleging that a popular supervisor sexually harassed her, has also claimed to have been repeatedly harassed by several coworkers angry at her for filing a complaint against this supervisor, with whom they are friends. More...