Monthly Archives: October 2011

New Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) on The Way from USCIS

On October 25, 2011, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has launched a new Employment Authorization Document (EAD) with enhanced features to strengthen security and deter fraud.  The goal of the new EAD is to deter counterfeiting, obstruct tampering, and facilitate quick and accurate authentication of the EAD. USCIS began issuing … Continue Reading

Florida’s Minimum Wage Set to Increase to $7.67 per Hour on January 1, 2012

Effective January 1, 2012, Florida’s minimum wage will increase from the current rate of $7.31 to $7.67 per hour.  Each year, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity must recalculate Florida’s minimum wage based upon the increase in the federal Consumer Price Index for Urban Earners and Clerical Workers in the Southern Region.  Based upon the … Continue Reading

Halloween Horrors for Employers

Are you allowing your employees to dress up as ghosts, goblins and ghouls this Halloween?  Celebrating Halloween in the workplace is a “treat” but employers should be aware of the risks.  Here are some “real life” workplace horror stories: Religious Discrimination: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) sued a company for firing an employee, who … Continue Reading

¿Algunos de sus empleados hablan Español? [Do Some of Your Employees Speak Spanish?] If so, NLRB’s Employee Rights Poster is Now Available in Spanish

As discussed in an earlier post, NLRB Postpones Notice-Posting Rule Until January 31, 2012, employers subject to the National Labor Relation Board’s jurisdiction are required to post a notice notifying employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act by January 31, 2012.  If 20% or more of your employees are not proficient in English, … Continue Reading

Administrative Law Judge Reviews Two Facebook Postings – One Protected, One Not

As another follow-up to our posts, NLRB OK’s Employee Bad-Mouthing on Social Media, Update: The NLRB Seesaws On Social Media Bad-Mouthing, NLRB Issues Guidance On Social Media Policies and Administrative Law Judge Recommends Employees Fired For Facebook Be Reinstated and Provided Loss of Pay, an Administrative Law Judge (“ALJ”) has made a recommendation on another … Continue Reading

NLRB Postpones Notice-Posting Rule Until January 31, 2012

On August 26, our colleague Lisa Berg posted an article on the National Labor Relation Board’s (NLRB) new rule requiring employees (union and non-union) to post a notice informing employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act, including the right to organize a union, form, join, or assist a union, bargain collectively, discuss … Continue Reading

Is Being “Gun Shy” About Providing a Urine Sample an ADA Disability?: EEOC Opinion Letter Illustrates the Breadth of the ADA Amendments

Ever have stage fright when having to urinate in a public toilet?  Can’t offer a sample for that employment-related drug test?  The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) may protect such a condition and require the employer to offer a reasonable accommodation.   The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC or Commission) recently issued an Opinion Letter on … Continue Reading
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