Quirky Questions

Real Life Employment Law

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A New Question Every Week

Nearly every day, executives and managers, and the in-house counsel and Human Resources professionals who work with them, are confronted with unanticipated questions regarding the workforce. Just when they think they have "seen it all," along comes a new and often stranger scenario involving an odd twist to an area they thought they fully understood. These individuals often find themselves back at square one when trying to construct an appropriate response and devise a creative solution to the problem presented. Sometimes these "Quirky Questions" can be resolved easily; other times, they implicate practical and legal issues that are not immediately apparent.

This Quirky Employment Questions Blog addresses unanticipated questions regarding the workforce.

We encourage you to submit your thoughts and reactions to the questions presented. We also encourage you to submit questions that you would like to see addressed, subject to these guidelines.

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Author: Jessica Shiffman

Quirky Question #280: Minneapolis Sick and Safe Time Ordinance

 

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Question: We are an employer that has a few employees working in Minneapolis, and just heard about a new law requiring employers to provide paid sick leave in Minneapolis. Will this apply to us? What are the requirements? And how long do I have to prepare?

VIEW ALL POSTS ABOUT: Employee Handbook / Policies, Health Care Industry Group, Leave Issues, Wage and Hour Issues, Wellness and Benefits

Question #274: Opining on Obesity

 

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Question: We have a large meat processing facility in Northern Minnesota. We were recently hiring for one of our positions in the plant requiring work with large mechanical equipment. Because we consider this position to be safety sensitive, we require candidates for this position to pass a medical examination prior to hire. One of the candidates for the open position...

POSTED IN Disability Discrimination, Employee Handbook / Policies, Food & Agriculture Industry Group, General, Health Care Industry Group, Mining Industry Group, P3D Industry Group

Quirky Question #271: We’ve Got a Worried Waiter

 

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Question: We recently interviewed a candidate for a server position at our restaurant. During the interview, he informed us that he has an anxiety disorder, which causes him to have panic attacks out of the blue. Do we have to hire him? What if he had a panic attack in the middle of serving a customer?

POSTED IN Disability Discrimination, Discipline and Discharge, Food & Agriculture Industry Group
Quirky Question #253, Private arbitrations becoming not-so-private?

Quirky Question #253, Private arbitrations becoming not-so-private?

 

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Question: I read with interest the answer to Quirky Question #248 about mandatory arbitration. You mentioned one of the benefits of arbitration being that is more private than a dispute in court, which is certainly a consideration for our company as we determine whether to implement this type of policy. Is that really the case, given the recent legislation I’ve...

POSTED IN Uncategorized
Quirky Question #242 – Policing Break and Time Records Pays Off

Quirky Question #242 – Policing Break and Time Records Pays Off

 

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Question: We are a California employer.   After all the publicity surrounding class actions over meal and break periods, we instituted automatic warnings if employees take too long or too short a meal or rest break. Is anyone really enforcing this kind of discipline or are we wasting our time?

VIEW ALL POSTS ABOUT: California Questions, Class and Collective Actions, Discipline and Discharge, Unemployment Benefits, Wage and Hour Issues