Day: March 2, 2012

Donning + Doffing = Divided Decisions

The Supreme Court has refused to resolve competing appeals court views on the nature of donning and doffing, denying certiorari in Mountaire Farms Inc. v. Perez in late February. Perez is the latest in a series of cases in which petitioners ask for further clarification on when employees must be paid for putting on and […]

What Does Maryland’s Same-sex Marriage Law Mean for Employers?

Employers in Maryland have 10 months to adjust their employee benefit policies, plan documents and plan language regarding dependents before a law legalizing same-sex marriage goes into effect. But that comes with a couple of caveats: (1) the law may be repealed before it even goes into effect; and (2) if it does go into […]

Layoff, Furlough, or Pay Cut: Which Is Best?

When you’ve trimmed all the fat you can trim from operations and marketing and the budget still isn’t balanced, companies have to turn to labor costs. But what’s the best option? There are advantages and disadvantages to each. Hiring Freeze Instituting a hiring freeze is an almost knee-jerk reaction in many organizations. But there are […]

New ADA Design Standards Take Effect March 15

Employers covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) must make sure any new building projects are in compliance with the 2010 Standards for Accessible Design by March 15. The new standards replace the 1991 standards devised when the ADA became law. The 2010 standards set minimum requirements for new construction and alterations of more […]

Dangers of a Sense of Entitlement

It was a busy travel day and, as often is the case, a flight was canceled. As you might expect, the passengers weren’t all that happy about it. One man in particular was visibly upset by the canceled flight. As he waited in line to book passage on another flight, he became increasingly agitated until […]