What the best progressive discipline plan? Is unlimited PTO a good or a bad idea? What should your handbook cover? Is teleworking great or grim? What’s the best legal TV show of all time? Join us as we talk through scenarios...more
Join us as we count down and recap some of the big developments in 2020, impart some critical public service announcements, and share a few predictions about what 2021 may hold for employers!
This podcast is made available...more
12/15/2020
/ CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Health and Safety ,
Labor Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Masks ,
Paid Leave ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Sick Leave ,
Unemployment Benefits ,
Unions ,
Vaccinations ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
By a show of hands: Ever sent an email you immediately regretted? Ever seen something at work that you wished you could unsee? In this game show, you earn a point for every regrettable or awkward situation that you’ve...more
Holding the company holiday party in an adult venue – yes or no? How can we serve booze while minimizing risk? What reasonable religious accommodations might be available to an employee under Title VII? Do we need to pay...more
On the eve of Election Day, what can employers do to keep their workplaces from exploding? What workplace speech is protected by the First Amendment or the National Labor Relations Act? When do political social media posts...more
10/30/2020
/ Employee Rights ,
Employment Policies ,
First Amendment ,
Free Speech ,
NLRA ,
Political Campaigns ,
Political Expression ,
Political Speech ,
Presidential Elections ,
Social Media ,
Social Media Policy
Join us for a brief discussion of the history of marijuana legislation in the United States, and learn where the current developments and trends “leaf” employers as it relates to drug testing employees and accommodating...more
Is it discriminatory to discipline employees for wearing #BLM face masks? When does Supervisor Karen cross the line from rude into discrimination? And join us to count down the top eight things you should never, ever say in...more
9/22/2020
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Anti-Harassment Policies ,
Black Lives Matter ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Disparate Impact ,
Disparate Treatment ,
Dress Codes ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Gender Discrimination ,
Gender Identity ,
Hairstyle Discrimination ,
National Origin Discrimination ,
Pregnancy Discrimination ,
Protected Class ,
Race Discrimination ,
Retaliation ,
Sexual Orientation ,
Sexual Orientation Discrimination ,
Title VII
COVID-19 forced many companies to quickly jump into the realm of teleworking or to drastically expand existing programs. What policies should employers institute and enforce to discourage off-the-clock work? Do employers need...more
9/8/2020
/ Business Expenses ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Data Security ,
Employee Monitoring ,
Employment Policies ,
Home Offices ,
Interactive Process ,
Off-The-Clock ,
Over-Time ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Reimbursements ,
Remote Working ,
Wage and Hour
Does size matter? Should your handbook cover underwear and love notes? Does using a random handbook you found online create problems? This episode delves into the good, the bad, and the ugly of employee handbooks.
This...more
So far in 2020, COVID-19 has forced businesses to do everything from redesigning their facilities to taking the temperature of every employee on a daily basis, and from furloughing the workforce to shutting down the workplace...more
8/11/2020
/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Furloughs ,
Health and Safety ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Labor Regulations ,
OSHA ,
Sick Employees ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Waivers ,
Workplace Safety
In this podcast, we examine examples from popular TV shows like NCIS, Gilmore Girls, and The Office to find the good, the bad, and the ugly of employment law on TV. Warning: May contain content that is painful to human...more
What happens if an employee drives the company car to a strip club for lunch? In the age of COVID-19, what privacy concerns does contact tracing raise? What do employers need to think about before implementing an employee...more
Can you discipline or fire an employee because of his or her social media posts? Do employees have a constitutional right to say whatever they want online or at a protest? What blowback might companies face due to negative...more
Do you want to get sued by your employees? Probably not. If you’ve ever pondered what steps you can take to reduce your company’s legal exposure, then this episode is for you. Join us as we discuss six practical tips that you...more
Game show fans everywhere will love “Work & Play,” the newest Fair Labor Standards Act game show to hit the air! We laugh, we answer common questions related to exempt and non-exempt employees, and we reminisce about ‘80s...more
How should you handle the Mouthy Blogger? What’s the best approach for Body Odor Bobby? How do you keep up with all of Sensitive Sally’s complaints? Dedicated to our friends in human resources, this episode talks about some...more
What legalities and logistics do companies need to consider when returning employees to the physical workplace in a post-coronavirus world? Listen in for practical tips about minimizing your company’s potential liability,...more
What is the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, and what does it mean for employers? And, because we can’t seem avoid discussing COVID-19 right now, practical tips for managing data security (like requiring passwords...more
As state, federal, and international laws protecting consumer data multiply, employers need to know about the applicable restrictions and obligations related to employee data. Part 1 of this miniseries will cover the Stored...more
Fact is often stranger than fiction. The last episode covered the logistics of the Family and Medical Leave Act – who, what, when, and how long – while this episode will discuss real cases in which employers faced some...more
Navigating the intricacies of the Family and Medical Leave Act can be daunting. Who is an eligible employee and an eligible employer? How long does FMLA leave last? What does intermittent FMLA mean? How can you take steps to...more
In the #MeToo era, accusations of workplace misconduct must be taken seriously and investigated thoroughly. A good investigation can result in effective resolution of a harassment complaint, winning an unemployment claim, and...more
What does the Families First Coronavirus Response Act mean to employers? What federal agencies have issued guidance? Are there state- and locale-specific orders in place related to the coronavirus? Finally, what do employers...more