If you have been following the Presidential race at all, you know that Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the former DNC Chair, was forced to resign her position because of some inflammatory emails she sent to DNC staffers regarding Bernie Sanders’ religious beliefs. Debbie apparently forgot the Golden Rule of emails – If you would be embarrassed if it was read in public, don’t send it in an email. Ms. Wasserman’s precipitous fall from grace should serve as a powerful reminder for all to us in HR about the use of emails.
Continue reading “Email Reminder – Don’t Do What Debbie Did”
Month: July 2016
OSHA Tries to Make Workers Safer by Making Post-Accident Drug Screens and Safety-Incentive Programs More Difficult to Apply
On May 12, 2016 the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a final Rule requiring many employers to submit illness and injury data electronically. This provision has been widely publicized and will take effect January 1, 2017. However, the new Rule also contains a much less publicized provision requiring employers to implement reasonable procedures for employees to report workplace illnesses and injuries promptly and accurately. This provision also contains anti-retaliation language providing that no such procedure can deter or discourage an employee from making a report. This provision of the Rule was initially set to go into effect August 10, 2016 but, due to suits filed by various pro-business interests, OSHA has agreed to refrain from implementing this provision until November 1, 2016. In theory, the anti-retaliation provision of the new Rule sounds logical. However, OSHA’s construction of the rule may be less so. Continue reading “OSHA Tries to Make Workers Safer by Making Post-Accident Drug Screens and Safety-Incentive Programs More Difficult to Apply”
The EEOC Takes Sexual Orientation Discrimination Seriously
The EEOC has recently filed several lawsuits alleging that employers discriminated against employees based upon their sexual orientation. (This is a link to the EEOC’s press release about these suits. https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/3-1-16.cfm)
This week Pallet Companies/IFCO Systems agreed to settle their suit by paying $202,200.00. The former employee will be paid $182,000.00 and the remainder of the settlement proceeds will be donated to the Workplace Equality Program of the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBT advocacy group. Pallet Companies has also agreed to provide training to its employees developed by an LGBT expert and it will be under a consent decree for two years. Continue reading “The EEOC Takes Sexual Orientation Discrimination Seriously”
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