Agencies Issue Guidance Regarding Same-Sex Marriages

On June 26, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that provisions of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that defined marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman were unconstitutional. In a 5-4 vote, the Court found that the provisions deprived “the equal liberty of persons that is protected by the Fifth
Tagged under: , , , ,

Don’t Hold a Final Paycheck Hostage

Q: Is it legal to hold an employee’s final paycheck until uniforms, computers, tools, or other company property is returned?   A: I get this question quite often and the short answer is: NO! An employer may not withhold an employee’s final paycheck for any reason! If an employee is separated from employment, he/she must
Tagged under:

Unpaid “Internships” Might Be Illegal

Unpaid “Internships” Might be Illegal A common labor law violation is the use of unpaid “interns”. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) states very clearly that that employers cannot pay an employee below minimum wage NOR can employees “waive” their rights under the FLSA. Employers cannot get around this by calling the work “volunteer” work
Tagged under: , , ,

Alternative Work Schedules

Alternative Work Schedules (AWS) have been around for some time and are often used to assist managers and supervisors with meeting their goals. They can also be effective recruitment and retention tools. Additionally, they allow employees more flexibility in planning their work and, in some instances, greater work/life balance. For example, employees with greater control
Tagged under: , ,