When someone is fired and can't get hired elsewhere, a claim against the former employer is an attractive way to generate more than a little income. Here are five danger spots where managers need to exercise special care. 1 Give me a reference and I won't sue Don't give a bad-news departing staffer a good reference in exchange for an agreement not to sue. The nightmare … [Read more...] about Avoid these 5 deadly employment law traps
Termination
Model Form: ABC Medical Office use of social media for pre-employment screening
Why you need this assessment: Information collected about individual job applicants is considered personal information subject to privacy laws, regardless of whether the information is publicly available online. You need to consider these privacy risks you face before using social media sites like Facebook to gather personal information about job applicants. How this … [Read more...] about Model Form: ABC Medical Office use of social media for pre-employment screening
Is firing employees for medical marijuana discrimination?
All seven of the courts that have confronted this issue in the past decade have ruled that employers can enforce zero tolerance drug policies to fire employees for lawful use of medical marijuana. Here’s the rundown: 2013: COLORADO (Federal Court) What Happened: Brewery employee with hepatitis C, fired after testing positive for marijuana, claims use was legal under … [Read more...] about Is firing employees for medical marijuana discrimination?
Office handbook: danger in saying too much or too little
While most offices have an employee handbook, few realize the responsibilities and even dangers it creates. A handbook ensures that both employer and employee understand the full picture of the employment. It tells what the office expects of the employee in terms of behavior, and it tells what the employee can expect of the office in terms of salary, benefits, and so … [Read more...] about Office handbook: danger in saying too much or too little
Model Policy: Medical marijuana
Why you need this policy: Now that medical marijuana is legal in many states, it’s important that you adjust your zero tolerance drug policy to address, if not accommodate, it. How this policy helps you: This model policy provides the appropriate language to use for your state. How to use this policy: Modify your existing workplace drug policy to include medical marijuana … [Read more...] about Model Policy: Medical marijuana
Can your medical office employees be fired for using legal medical marijuana?
Testing positive for cannabis is a ticket for termination under the kind of "zero tolerance" policy that has come to pervade the American workplace. But what if employees are medical cannabis patients? Situation Reggie Sturd, an employee of ABC Corporation, tests positive for marijuana. He denies using or being high at work and claims he has permission under the state medical … [Read more...] about Can your medical office employees be fired for using legal medical marijuana?
What happens outside the office is still relevant
By Steve M. Cohen bio Whether it's an after hours party or sporting event far from work, incidents that are away from the office may still be relevant to managers. One of my clients had an employee who was attending a son's baseball game on a summer evening. The employee was in the stands, enjoying a few too many beers, and became very vocal, profane, and … [Read more...] about What happens outside the office is still relevant
Medical leave gets formal for 50 employees and up
By Steve M. Cohen bio When it comes to sick leave in your office of 50 or more employees, you have to follow the doctor’s orders regardless of whether or not you think the reason for the leave is justified. Because most office managers are so singularly focused on their practice, they are appalled to learn of all the limitations placed upon them by … [Read more...] about Medical leave gets formal for 50 employees and up
Whatever you call it, negative workplace behavior is expensive
By Dr. Steve M. Cohen Whether you call it harassment, bullying or something else, negative workplace behavior can be expensive for any business. Unhappy employees today are also more likely to seek legal recourse against their employers, a fact that even medical office managers should keep in mind. Although the medical field is highly professional, it's also staffed with … [Read more...] about Whatever you call it, negative workplace behavior is expensive
Model Form: ABC Medical Office notification to applicants of pre-employment screening
Why you need this screening notification: Collecting information about job applicants from social media websites like Facebook can get you into legal hot water. That's because the information you collect may be considered protected, personal information to the extent applicants can show they had a reasonable expectation of privacy in the material. How this screening … [Read more...] about Model Form: ABC Medical Office notification to applicants of pre-employment screening