Articles

Buying a full-page ad in the New York Times and leaving it blank would be a waste of money. But that’s what employers do when they give year-end bonuses without explaining why.

Even with excellent harassment-free training, employers cannot always prevent harassment. That’s why your employee handbook must have a clear, effective open-door policy. Such a policy saved the Hyatt Regency Cleveland in the recent decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit.

The Family and Medical Leave Act was recently amended (for the second time in under two years) to expand the leave benefits available to families of military members.

Tampa and Salt Lake City became the latest cities to join over 100 others offering employment protections to gay and transgender employees. This is a growing trend reflected on the state level as well.

A recent decision by the Federal Court in Rhode Island is a good reminder that employers are ultimately responsible for employees’ actions even if not authorized. In Babbitt v. PRI XVII LP, the plaintiff, Odessa Babbitt, complained she was constantly harassed by male co-workers at the Defendant’s hotel where she worked as a room attendant for three months.

According to the National Labor Relations Board, during the first half of 2009, union representation elections in the private sector were down almost 28% (from 813 to 588) compared to the same time last year. However, union victories soared up from 66.5% last year to 73% this year.