Blog Archives

Schilling Firing: Can You Fire An Employee for What They Say on Social Media?

This week ESPN fired pitcher-turned-broadcaster Curt Schilling for an allegedly offensive tweet about the recently passed law in North Carolina requiring persons to use the restroom associated with the sex of their birth. As an example, transgender men in North

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Posted in Discrimination, Labor & Employment, Uncategorized

Virginia Shooting Raises Questions About Background Checks

First, let me say that most shootings (including the recent incident in Virginia) are random acts of violence by crazy people.  It is difficult, if not impossible, to predict when an employee will snap, or whether an ex-employee is likely

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Posted in Discrimination, Labor & Employment

New FMLA Regulations Will Affect Texas Employers

Texas does not recognize same sex marriage, so the natural thought would be to deny a request for an employee to take FMLA leave to care for his or her same sex “spouse” from a marriage in another state.  According

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

If You Are Planning Layoffs – Here Are Five Things You Need to Know

Unfortunately, when the price of oil goes down, the employment numbers also move downward in Houston. Many clients in the oil and gas industry are either planning or considering downsizing measures, which means that it is a good time to

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Posted in Discrimination, Labor & Employment, Wage and Hour

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

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

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
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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