Yearly Archives: 2014

Department of Labor Targeting Oil and Gas Contractors

On December 9, 2014, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) announced that it had achieved $4.5 million dollars in settlements from private employers as a result of a two year investigation into contractors working in the Marcellus Shale region of

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Posted in Discrimination, Federal Government, Labor & Employment, Wage and Hour

The Secularization of the Holidays

Employers are under increased pressure to secularize religious holidays like Christmas.  No one wants to be the Grinch, but at the same time, many companies are concerned that they will being perceived as favoring Christian holidays over Muslim or Jewish

Posted in Discrimination, Labor & Employment

Election Brings New Wave of Minimum Wage Increases

Election day 2014 brought more than just a wave of new Republican politicians, it also brought a wave of minimum wage increases across the country. For employers with operations in multiple states, payroll just got more complicated. Five states approved

Posted in Uncategorized

Can State Medical Marijuana Laws Trump Employer Rights?

Currently, 23 states and the District of Columbia have medical marijuana laws which allow a lawful level of marijuana use. One question which comes up often in such states is whether an employer can lawfully terminate an employee who fails

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Posted in Discrimination, Labor & Employment, Wage and Hour

Halloween Parties Could Mean HR Issues

I was recently interviewed for an article in Inside Counsel Magazine on the HR issues associated with office Halloween parties. The article is a fun read and can be found here. About The Author

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Posted in Discrimination, Labor & Employment

Reminder – Cozen O’Connor Seminar: How Not to Be the EEOC’s Next Press Release

Tomorrow, the Houston office of Cozen O’Connor will be sponsoring an informative seminar, which will include guest speaker Joe Bontke from the EEOC. Joe is the Outreach Manager and Ombudsman for the Houston EEOC office and is an excellent speaker.

Posted in Labor & Employment, Wage and Hour

Texas Supreme Court Draws Distinction Between Loyalty Agreement and Non-Compete

In many industries, it is common to pay incentives in the form of restricted stock options payable in the future if certain conditions are satisfied. In Exxon-Mobil v. Drennen, decided on August 29, 2014,  the Texas Supreme Court reviewed the

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Posted in Labor & Employment

President Obama Keeps Adding New Labor Regulations for Federal Contractors

It has been a busy year for executive orders, especially if you are a federal contractor.   Although the President cannot unilaterally implement new employment laws affecting private employers, there has been no shortage of new labor requirements for those doing

Posted in Discrimination, Federal Government, Labor & Employment, Uncategorized, Wage and Hour

Can Employees be Disciplined for Using the Bathroom?

Employees at a Chicago plant are picketing over a new employer policy to time unscheduled bathroom breaks and discipline employees who exceed what the company deems as a reasonable amount of time.   The company even went so far as to

Posted in Discrimination, Labor & Employment, Wage and Hour

Supreme Court Says Obama Overstepped Authority with Three NLRB Recess Appointments

Today, the Supreme Court issued a long-awaited decision addressing the question of whether three recess appointees to the NLRB passed Constitutional muster.   These three NLRB members  were appointed by President Obama during a three-day recess in the middle of a

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Posted in Federal Government, Labor & Employment, Wage and Hour
About HR Headaches
HR Headaches is a blog for Human Resources professionals, business owners, and in-house counsel to get the latest news, analysis and tips in the area of labor and employment law. Every day there are new court decisions, agency interpretations, and regulations which affect the workplace, making it difficult, if not impossible, for many employers to keep current. HR Headaches is dedicated to providing information in a practical, no-nonsense manner to help employers avoid legal disputes and keep policies up to date.
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