Employee could be required to work on Sabbath
For 10 years, a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier in Ohio was allowed to avoid working on Saturdays to accommodate his Jewish faith. But when budget constraints forced the Post Office to reduce staffing levels and require more carriers to work on Saturdays, other employees became unhappy with the man’s arrangement. The accommodation was eliminated […]
Workers’ comp may cover ‘recreational’ injuries
If employees get together for a recreational activity and someone gets hurt, is that covered by workers’ compensation? It depends. It can be, but there are usually many factors involved, including whether the recreation occurred during company time; whether the company encouraged, sponsored or required the activity; and whether the company benefited from the activity. […]
Handwritten contract leads to $10.5 million verdict
A contract that an executive quickly scrawled on two pieces of notebook paper was not only binding, but was the basis for a $10.5 million jury verdict. This case goes to show that just because a business agreement isn’t contained in a formal document doesn’t mean you can’t be held to it. The chairman of […]
Employees can sue even if they’re only ‘perceived’ as disabled
Employees don’t have to be disabled to sue under the Americans With Disabilities Act – they merely have to be regarded as disabled by their employer. That’s why it’s essential, whenever you have an employee with any sort of impairment, to fully understand the nature of the impairment and not leap to conclusions about what […]
Congress outlaws genetic discrimination
A company can’t refuse to hire people because they are genetically disposed to develop a particular disease or condition, even if this would cause the company’s health care costs to skyrocket. That’s the result of the federal Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, which was recently signed into law by President Bush. The law also prohibits insurance […]
Supreme Court limits out-of-state taxes
A new ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court is good tax news for companies that operate in multiple states. The case involved a packaging company that was based in Ohio and did business in Illinois. The company had a separate Ohio-based subsidiary with an unrelated information-technology business. When the company sold the subsidiary, it had […]
Your business loan could mess up your estate plan
If you own a business and you plan to leave it to one of your children when you die, be aware that taking out a business loan or line of credit could affect your estate plan. The reason: Many wills that provide that a child will inherit business assets don’t specify whether the child will […]
$100 million Starbucks verdict shows danger of ‘tip pools’
A recent $100 million verdict against Starbucks for the way it required employees to participate in “tip pools” should jolt employers with all the force of a Venti extra-shot Caramel Macchiato. Tip-pool lawsuits have been filed recently not only against restaurants, but also against hotels, transportation companies, delivery services, casinos and sports facilities. Recently, many […]
Which remodeling projects pay for themselves?
Wondering which remodeling projects are most likely to pay for themselves in terms of resale value? The latest edition of Remodeling Magazine’s annual survey of builders and real estate agents is out, and it offers some answers, both nationally and for different regions. Of course, every house, every community, and every remodeling project is different, […]
Homeowners association could prohibit owners from renting their homes
A homeowners association in a development could prohibit homeowners from leasing their homes, says the Indiana Supreme Court. In this case the homeowners association sued an owner for renting her house, which violated the terms of her deed. (The homeowner had broken her hip and moved to a nursing home, and wanted to rent her […]
