Employment Law Articles

California has moved one step closer to making its controversial workers’ compensation bill a reality. Earlier this month, the California Senate voted to pass the bill, which restricts most professional athletes playing for out-of-state teams from filing workers’ compensation claims in California. The bill is now awaiting the signature of Gov. Jerry Brown.

An employment relationship can be established regardless of whether a service contract was signed, even after contract work under instructions.

If an official working on call is entitled to compensatory time off, this also applies to his/her appointed substitute.

A former Abercrombie & Fitch employee has won a major discrimination case against the popular clothing company. Umme-Hani Khan, a 19 year old Muslim woman obtained the assistance of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The driving expenses of flight crews between their home and their assigned airport can be deducted in full.

In Illinois, employers have a duty to their employees to provide a safe work environment that protects them for injury on the job. This is even more true where industrial equipment or manufacturing machines are in use. But, industrial workplaces like factories, energy plants and warehouses have a higher than average rate of injury and death for their workers.

Do you have a trouble employee that can never seem to make it to work when they are supposed to? Either they are always late or they are not there at all? How should you go about disciplining this employee, particularly if you have let it slide in the past? Is there any risk to firing someone for claiming too much sick time (even if they are entitled to those days under the terms of their employment)?

An employment relationship with the host business can be assumed under certain circumstances despite any transfer agreement.

Irrespective of any contract to produce a work, an employment relationship can emerge even in the case of external employees deployed and bound by instructions if integrated into the business.

A "whistleblower" is someone who reports a violation of the law by his or her employer. The violation may be against the reporting employee, as with sexual harassment claims, or may be a general violation like illegally polluting, securities violations, etc. While the law is supposed to protect people for doing the right thing, often whistleblowers are fired after reporting the inappropriate situation. So what should you do if you have been fired after blowing the whistle?

Maternity leave (also referred as parental leave, paternity or adoption leave) is a form of an employee benefit that provides paid or unpaid time-off from work for the purposes childbirth or child welfare. Maternity leave is guaranteed mostly by the constitutions or by statutory regulations in all EU states including Poland, as well as in Turkey. This brief information note aims to summarize the systems in Turkey and in Poland.

Sexual harassment is usually defined by Courts and employers using the definition of sexual harassment contained in the guidelines of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). This language has also formed the basis for most state laws prohibiting sexual harassment. The guidelines define sexual harassment as:

Employment law can be confusing and it can be difficult to learn what your rights are and what you are entitled to. When an employer does not pay for something (whether regular wages, overtime, tip splitting, reimbursements, or something else) it can be very frightening and confusing. Is the employer right? Should I even bother fighting? This is a list of ten workplace violations that employees should be aware of and for which legal help may be available:

The quick answer is everyone is protected from employment discrimination. But, more specifically, who are the protected classes? Which businesses are subject to employment discrimination standards? What constitutes discrimination?

Illinois workers' compensation laws allow employees who are injured in the course of their work on a job to seek payment from their employer's workers' compensation insurance carrier for their injuries. If you believe you have a workers' compensation claim, you should try to gain a basic understanding of laws dealing with workers' compensation in Illinois.

A contractual forfeiture clause included in an employment contract may not necessarily apply in the case of already legally regulated cases.

In determining the valid grounds of immediate termination of a Managing Director, the knowledge available to the parties in regards to the reasons for making the termination effective are decisive.

The employer of an employee returning after parental leave must provide for a part-time employment option.

The works council of company hiring temporary workers can reject the borrowing of a temporary worker on more than a temporary basis.

Employers may not set iniquitous parameters when choosing employees for the purposes of a secondment. Thus, the restriction solely to formerly temporary employees is impermissible.

Circumstances may lead to the termination of a compliance manager when it comes to monitoring measures taken with regard to an employee.

The Federal Supreme Court has issued a decision in regards to the termination of a commercial sales agent which has been determined to represent unreasonable discrimination only due to the provision of a termination notice period of 12 months.

You do not have to be "totally disabled" or an invalid! For many claimants, you only have to be disabled from your former type of work. The Social Security Administration will take into consideration your age, education and past work experience in deciding if you are disabled under their rules. Every case is unique.

An employer’s extension of a recently-retained employee is not an action employers summarily or frequently take. Oftentimes the employer is afraid to modify its probationary period policy for fear of repercussions if it/he/she does so. Other times, the employer simply does not have sufficient information to form a viable decision.

On July 5, 2013, the Cabinet of Ministers’ Resolution No. 437 regarding “Issuance, Prolongation of the Validity Term and Annulment of Permissions for the Use of Labor of Foreigners and Stateless Persons”, dated May 27, 2013 (the “Resolution”), came into force. The Resolution establishes the new list of documents required for obtaining work permits for foreign individuals hired for labor in Ukraine.

Once again, the Ukrainian government has introduced amendments to the Ukrainian immigration rules. This time, the amendments are designed to decrease the volume of documents required for foreign work permits and temporary residency permits.

A reference in the dismissal to the relevant statutory deadline provisions is sufficient, if it is possible to identify the date on which the employment relationship is supposed to come to an end.

Any applicant hired by a company within the 10% of the Panamanian payroll or 15% (Technicians) will be entitled to opt for a permanent residency status as long as the process is completed.

In the view of the Federal Court of Justice, the level of knowledge of the board deciding on the dismissal is decisive in determining the reasons for a dismissal of a GmbH director without notice.

A rejected job applicant should not have a right to information vis-à-vis the employer regarding whether the employer has hired another applicant or on the basis of which criteria people were hired.

If an employee waives compensation for leave in the context of a settlement with the employer, EU law cannot stand in opposition to such a waiver.

On the 4th June 2013 the Industrial Tribunal, following a claim for unfair dismissal filed by Mrs Maria Concetta Debono, awarded a decision in her favor and ordered her re-instatement with Foster Clark Products Limited and the payment of wages for the duration of her unemployment.

The prevalence of narcotic prescriptions in the workers’ compensation system is receiving a lot of attention currently because insurers are becoming uncomfortable with assuming the cost of these prescriptions when it comes to long term use.

An overview of key developments affecting doing business in Angola and an introduction to its legal system for foreign investment, currency regulations and incentives, business vehicles and relevant restrictions and liabilities. It provides short overviews on the laws regulating employment relationships including redundancies and on competition law, data protection, product liability/safety, taxation/tax residency and IP rights over patents, trade marks, registered and unregistered designs.

A New Jersey Bus Driver was awarded workers’ compensation by a judge after her claim for benefits after experiencing an accident where she tripped and fell, breaking her foot, was initially denied.

California’s minimum wage was set at $8.00 per hour in 2008 and has since not been changed for the last six years. However, Assembly Bill 10 could change all of that.

This Q&A gives an overview of the key practical issues including: permissions to work; contractual and implied terms of employment; minimum wages; restrictions on working time; illness and injury; rights of parents and carers; data protection; discrimination and harassment; dismissals; redundancies; taxation; employer and parent company liability; employee representation and consultation; consequence of business transfers; pensions; IP; restraint of trade agreements and proposals for reform.

This guide offers a high level overview of the key issues including, whether share plans are common and can be offered by foreign parent companies, the structure and rules relating to the different types of share option plan, share purchase plan and phantom share plan, taxation, corporate governance guidelines, consultation duties, exchange control regulations, taxation of internationally mobile employees, prospectus requirements, and necessary regulatory consents and filings.

Tyson Foods Inc. has been penalized in the amount of $4 million after harmful chemicals were accidentally released in different facilities in four states. Due to the chemical exposure several employees were injured and one died. Additionally, risk management practices will need to be reevaluated.

In several cases the Federal Labor Court (BAG) should have decided that temporary workers could be entitled to a higher salary for their work.

Pregnant employees rights are protected with special care. There are six different leaves for them during pregnance.

The German Federal Labor Court (BAG) has decided that temporary workers could potentially receive more pay.

A recent study found that the federal government pays a significant amount of money, for Medicare fraud, to for-profit nursing homes.

Several banking giants, such as HSBC and Standard Chartered, are currently being investigated by US regulators for alleged failings in anti-money laundering (AML) compliance. All fingers point to lapses involving outsourcing units operating without adequate oversight.

Blowing the whistle on fraud that is committed at the expense of U.S. taxpayers is, generally, governed by the federal False Claims Act. The Act allows a private citizen to step into the shoes of and pursue a claim on behalf of the government.

If an employee is posted to a subsidiary company abroad for years, there may be variations in the arrangement of his professional expenses.

The workers compensation process involves the Division of Workers’ Compensation, an insurance company, your employer, medical providers and potentially a liable third-party. It’s no wonder that injured workers find the process difficult to understand and hard to follow.

Although off-label prescription drugs are involved in many False Claims Act cases, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals recent decision looks unlikely to have any major impact on whistleblower lawsuits.

There are risks to blowing the whistle on illegal, corrupt or fraudulent business practices, but there are also protections and incentives built into the process as well.

Most businesses want to classify their workers as contractors not employees. Contractors are cheaper and easier than employees. You don’t withhold taxes for contractors, nor do you pay benefits, workers compensation or unemployment insurance, nor must you comply with the wage & hour laws (including overtime) for contractors.

This article answers the question whether in the Congo labour law; the employer terminates the fixed term contract of an employee few months to the end of the contract. Will the employer pay for the remaining months that didn’t take place?

The False Claims Act was designed to provide an award to encourage potential whistleblowers to come forward and take steps to stop the waste of taxpayer dollars.

Employees can suffer all kinds of injuries while working. Vision impairment or loss can be one of the many different types of work injuries suffered. If you were injured at work, it is important to speak to a workers compensation lawyer about your legal rights and options.

The Federal Labor Court (BAG) appears to have decided in several cases that temporary workers might potentially be entitled to a higher wage for their work.

Employment Discrimination laws seek to prevent discrimination based on everything from race and sex, to religion and physical ability. A growing body of law also seeks to prevent employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. Discriminatory practices include bias in hiring, promotion, job assignment, termination, compensation, retaliation, and various types of harassment.

Thailand is recovering from historic floods that inundated the country on a scale never seen before. Drastic taxation measures helped to boost the economy in 2012. Despite uncertainty about the evolution of the global economy, the Thai economy is expected to rebound sharply with GDP growing by 5.5% in 2012 and 5% in 2013 (according to The World Bank).

"With great power comes great responsibility." Glamorous as it may be, the post of a company director entails the accountability and undertaking at the company's behest. The article is a brief on who a "Director" is and the duties that comes with the name.

The basis for calculating the remuneration of the preliminary insolvency administrator is normally the value of the insolvency estate, yet there may be particularities pertaining to the calculation.

A survey showed that 7 out of 10 female employees were sexually harassed at their workplace. So, how safe are you at work?

Insurance companies will often deny benefits. They dispute shoulder injuries by blaming your problems on arthritis or that the injury did not result from a work related incident.

An employee has no right to a particular overall score from the preparation of an employer’s reference. Moreover, this right does not arise from the requirement for clarity in a reference.

The California Second District Court of Appeal’s decision in Sanchez v. Swissport, Inc., No. B237761, will have a significant impact employment law and the way employers handle employees requiring pregnancy leave.

Retirement age limits stipulated in work agreements are not discriminatory and thus effective.

The Federal Labor Court (BAG) decided that deadlines in the field of labor law which are partly very tight, must be respected.

“At will employment” means that employers and employees have a wide range of freedoms in terminating their work relationship. "At will" states allow the firing of employees with good reason or for virtually no reason at all; however the termination must not violate the terms of a written contract, or break state or federal laws. Employees who are hired under these circumstances generally have little job security, and very few legal opportunities to fight for their job if they are fired.

Women have historically been subjected to legal discrimination based on their gender. With the passage of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C.A. § 2000e et seq.), women are able to use the law to fight sex discrimination in employment, education, domestic relations.

New York is leading the way on legislation to ensure women aren't treated as second-class workers.

Should an employee be posted to a subsidiary company abroad over a long period of time, this can potentially have an impact on the arrangement of his professional expenses.

In California, the responsibility of school employees to report suspicion of child abuse is not only a component of a person’s moral compass, it’s the law. Communities rely on places like institutions of education to provide an element of safety for children, and teachers and administrators are assumed to uphold that expectation.

Employees can suffer all kinds of injuries while working. If you were injured at work, it is important to speak to a workers compensation lawyer about your legal rights and options.

If an employer calculates the size of the business in order to find out whether the Employment Protection Act (Kündigungsschutzgesetz (KSchG)) is applicable, then temporary workers have to be potentially taken into consideration.

The recent increase in maternity leave has created strong views, unsurprisingly divided into two broad categories: those who insist that the increase of the maternity leave to 18 weeks was essential and inevitable, and those who feel that the extended maternity leave will prove to be too much of a financial burden for the employer.

Temporary workers can be taken into consideration in determining the application of the Employment Protection Act (Kündigungsschutzgesetz (KSchG)) when the employer calculates the size of the business in order to find out whether the KSchG is applicable.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) has much to say about employees classified as “executives” and whether or not they are entitled to compensation for overtime hours.

It has again emerged from the decisions of the Federal Labor Court (BAG) that deadlines in the field of labor law which are partly very tight must be respected.

Missouri law requires most employers to carry insurance, which pays for medical treatment and lost time benefits for employees who are injured on the job. The law requires prompt payment of benefits at no cost to you if you sustain a work-related injury covered under the law.

Posting a worker for years to a subsidiary company abroad can spell changes to the arrangement of his professional expenses.

Labor dispatching is a common method used by foreign invested enterprises in China to employ workers through labor dispatch agencies (“Agencies”) e.g. FESCO or CIIC.

Surveillance measures carried out by an executive compliance worker with respect to a co-worker can potentially lead to the former’s dismissal.

This brief paper is designed to provide an up to date answer to the increasing demand from many sources for information in English concerning the Labor Law of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Its discusses various issues including hiring Expatriates workers, work permit, visa, Employment contracts, dismissal, leave, etc… in the labor Law of the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC]

In regards to overtime hours for employees, the United States Department of Labor in conjunction with the Fair Labor Standards Act have created stringent laws to protect workers throughout the nation, as well as enormous penalties for employers who don't abide by the regulations.

The mutual trust between employer and employee can be strongly disturbed by a secret audio recording of the employee during a personnel talk.

In September 2012, California Governor Jerry Brown enacted a number of laws relating to employment law. It is important that employers are familiar with the changes in order to ensure compliance. The following list includes that changes made which, unless stated otherwise, will go into effect January 1, 2013.

The failure of an employer to make a reasonable accommodation is a form of prohibited discrimination under the Rehabilitation Act.

What are the trends going to be for personnel management in the years to come? From an employment law point of view, how will companies and employees relate to each other in these changing times?

Racial discrimination, whether people like it or not, is part of the labor sector’s bad side. Workplace discrimination based on a person’s race is not uncommon in many working environments in the United States.

Some federal employees may view Federal Disability Retirement with trepidation. These remain tough economic times and there are understandable concerns that you won’t be able to make up your former income after retirement.

The realms of employment and labor in the State of California are not without their common issues, such as discrimination, harassment, and anything that demonstrates unfair treatment to employees. Fortunately for them, they are able to fight for their rights as workers by seeking protection from the state’s employment and labor laws.

In 2009 there were almost 12,700 sexual harassment complaints filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Sixteen percent came from men. Even though the total amount of sexual harassment is consistently on the decline, the number of complaints from men have increased over the years.

Obesity or morbid obesity may qualify you for FERS or CSRS disability retirement through the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

Your LTD claim: The Initial Steps

Maryland employment law attorney explains the anatomy of a non-compete agreement.

The duty to provide reasonable accommodation does not apply to an employee who is unable to perform the essential functions of his or her job, according to a recent EEOC ruling.

In general, the answer is “no.” If you want to make a deposit for post-1956 military service such that credit for your military service will be reflected in your retirement annuity, you must complete OPM Form 1515: “Military Service Deposit Election” and submit this form with your retirement application to OPM. You will NOT be allowed to make any such deposits once your retirement benefits are approved.

This article provides a summary of the most important laws in China governing the relationship between an employer and an employee. The discussions apply to wholly foreign-owned entities, local domestically owned entities, as well as the employment of foreigners and locals.

Times are getting tougher by the day. As it is, people with disabilities are finding it hard to survive on a daily basis. Because of their disabilities, they are forced to give up their jobs.

United States employers will be faced with a number of new obligations as of January 1, 2013

Severance payments on a release or non-compete must comply with Section 409A tax rules by December 31, 2012.

Why light duty might not always be a reasonable accommodation for federal disability purposes.

Why the Accommodations Issue is Unlikely to Pose a Problem If You Are Filing for Federal Disability Retirement Benefits