September 2, 2016 Author:  Bobbi K. Dominick This spring, a female firefighter in Fairfax County, Virginia committed suicide.  This would be a tragic case in any event, but it provides a cautionary tale for employers.  Allegations surfaced that the intense cyberbullying was perpetrated by fellow employees.  Online community forum members who claimed to be Fire... View Post

September 2, 2016 In today’s digital age, everyone is connected – by computers, tablets and cell phones. These computing devices have upped the pace of an already fast moving world. Where it once took days, weeks or months to hear back via letter, it now takes a matter of seconds, minutes or hours via e-mail.... View Post

August 4, 2016 Author:  Bobbi K. Dominick You have been served with a complaint of discrimination or harassment filed in the Idaho Human Rights Commission or the EEOC.  What do you do now?  Work with legal counsel A discrimination charge can be the first step to legal action, so protect your company’s interests.  Many employers... View Post

July 27, 2016 The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit upheld a National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) decision that a Massachusetts automobile dealer’s policy banning the wearing of “message pins” violated union insignia protections under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Based on an unfair labor practice charge filed by a union representing... View Post

July 18, 2016 Workplace safety, trust, and productivity begin with proper hiring, where criminal background screening often plays an essential role.  Indeed, many employers have been sued for “negligent hiring” for failure to screen applicants based on criminal history.  While screening policies serve a good purpose, employers must craft their policy carefully to ensure they... View Post

Is your workplace ready for a complete review of your organization’s policies and practices in preventing harassment?  Your road map was just released by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).  For the past 18 months, the EEOC has been studying harassment policies and practices.  Many employers were not aware this was happening, but in early... View Post

June 20, 2016 Author:  Bobbi K. Dominick Most companies are aware of their obligation to train employees about harassment in the workplace.  But a review of recent litigation cases shows that many employers still miss the mark.  Training is required to effectively prevent harassment, while recognizing that not all harassment can be prevented. A training... View Post

June 14, 2016 Resolving a split amongst circuit courts, the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled in Green v. Brennan that the statute of limitations for a constructive discharge claim begins to run when the employee resigns, as opposed to when the last discriminatory act occurred that prompted the resignation. Marvin Green, an African-American man, had... View Post

Historically, paid sick leave has been an issue in the American workplace, mainly because the United States lags behind other countries in offering this benefit to workers.  Presently, if your business falls under the federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), covered employers are already required to provide eligible employees up to 12 weeks of job-protected... View Post

May 19, 2016 Author:  Bobbi K. Dominick On May 18, 2016, President Obama and Secretary Perez announced the publication of the Department of Labor’s (DOL) final rule updating the overtime regulations. I already pay all of my employees a salary, so I do not need to worry about this new rule, correct? That is not... View Post

May 18, 2016 The U.S. Supreme Court recently answered the question – does the Constitution cover someone who wasn’t actually exercising a constitutional right?  The answer is “yes.”  In Heffernan v. City of Paterson, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the rather tricky question of whether the First Amendment shields employees who are not engaging... View Post

Even with the peak of the influenza season behind us, employers have good reason to be concerned about the flu in the workplace.  It poses a health risk that no business can take lightly, and those in the health care or child care fields, for example, face especially high stakes in deciding how to mitigate... View Post