Two restaurant employees complained about the company’s accounting department on Facebook — and were fired. Two teen center employees took to Facebook after an office meeting and disparaged their supervisors’ decisions — and were fired. James Damore used Google’s employee message boards to criticize how his employer was implementing its diversity policy — and was...
Read more

President Trump’s appointment to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission could signal a more cooperative attitude at the agency. Now that the EEOC is likely to have a 3-2 Republican majority under nominee Janet Dhillon, its policies are expected to slant in a more pro-employer direction. Control at the field office level, where much of...
Read more

Twenty-eight states now allow the medical use of cannabis (marijuana), and eight have legalized its recreational use. Some state statutes include legal protections for employees who use it for medical purposes. But the federal government still classifies cannabis as a Schedule 1 controlled substance, with no medical use—and illegal under federal law. How should an...
Read more

References and letters of recommendation can be a damned-if-you-do and damned-if-you-don’t situation for employers. Damned if You Do… Fear of defamation lawsuits brought by former employees has altered the way employers provide job references. Companies have no legal obligation to provide prospective employers with information on their former employees. Because employers have been found liable...
Read more

Guide dogs and service dogs have helped individuals with disabilities navigate life for decades. Now you also see assistance animals, therapy animals and emotional support animals. What’s the difference and what’s the law? Many people legitimately need service, support or therapy animals, while others use the “therapy animal” name and even fake vests and registries...
Read more

The EEOC has had pregnancy discrimination on its radar screen for a while. A Supreme Court case, Young v. UPS, will likely bring more attention to the issue. Many laws and regulations affect pregnancy and discrimination, disability, leave and accommodations. With women now comprising 47 percent of the U.S. labor force, at some point your...
Read more

Is it love or sexual harassment? In a CareerBuilder poll released in 2013, 39 percent of workers said they have dated a co-worker at least once over the course of their career. Thirty percent of those who have dated a co-worker said their office romance led them to the altar. It’s the ones that don’t...
Read more