Businesses often ask customers to sign a waiver before renting a Sea-Doo, zip-lining, tubing, or perhaps even so your child can bounce on a trampoline or in a bounce house. But can a business use a waiver to avoid liability if a customer contracts COVID-19 after visiting the business? Like the novel coronavirus, it is … Continue Reading
Earlier this week, we hosted a “Back to Work Virtual Chat.” As businesses begin to re-open and adjust to the “new normal”, we hoped to provide employers, big or small, with guidance to help navigate through these unprecedented times. Our goal was to provide practical information (not legal advice) to help organizations address the various … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí While we are all busy thinking about ways to safeguard ourselves, our families, and our businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, let us not forget that hurricane season is just around the corner. It runs from June 1 through November 30. Unfortunately, NOAA has predicted a busy 2020 Atlantic hurricane … Continue Reading
Trying to juggle work and home? Wish you had a crystal ball to see the future “new normal” workplace? Wouldn’t you welcome some guidance on return to work issues? Problem solved – we know how to juggle and we have a crystal ball! We also can provide guidance on important workplace issues that HR and … Continue Reading
The DOL has been working overtime attempting to clarify and answer questions on various aspects of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). As we reported last week, the DOL issued its “Employee Rights” poster, along with initial guidance in the form of “Questions and Answers.” On Thursday night (March 26) and then again on Saturday evening … Continue Reading
Yesterday, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued the much-anticipated “Employee Rights” poster or notice concerning the Paid Sick Leave and Expanded Family and Medical Leave components of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Click here to access the poster. Along with the poster, the DOL provided some much needed guidance on various aspects of … Continue Reading
With Hurricane Dorian expected to make landfall this weekend, Floridians are stocking up on water, batteries, gas, and canned food. It’s important to be prepared and plan ahead for your home and family. Please see our suggestions below on important action items to take to prepare for and recover after a storm.… Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí It is time to stock up on bottled water and fresh batteries and consider trimming those trees. It is also time for businesses to dust off and freshen up their emergency policies and procedures. Please see our suggestions below on what to review.… Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí Unless you recently woke up from a cryogenic slumber, your biometric information is out there. In today’s world, devices scan our palms before taking standardized tests. We unlock our phones with our fingers and our face. And we bicker with our named audio speakers in order to turn down … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí It is prime time of the year for hiring “interns.” They usually are high school, college or even graduate students looking for work experience. Certain interns may be unpaid (the analysis of whether interns must be paid is an important issue but beyond the scope of this blog post). … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí After years of good fortune, the 2017 Hurricane Season severely impacted most of South Florida and the Gulf Coast. Even those of us who suffered little or no property damage probably lost power for at least a few days, and many had no electricity for weeks. Businesses had difficulty … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí Hurricane Irma! For Floridians, that’s all you need to say. My family and I fled from Category 4 Irma. According to our Governor, this was “a deadly storm” the likes of which “our state has never seen.” We drove from Miami to what we thought would be a relatively … Continue Reading
It’s throwback Thursday … err Tuesday. As those of us in Florida prepare for the potential landfall of Hurricane Irma this weekend, please check out my colleague Bob Turk’s interview with the Miami Herald about storm preparations for human resource professionals and our post from hurricane season last year on what happens to employees’ pay … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí Is it prudent for employers to require employees to sign mandatory arbitration agreements? There is no right or wrong answer to that question . . . just a long list of pros and cons. Proponents of mandatory arbitration often focus on factors such as confidentiality, the ability to remove … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí Politics aside, the emails which the President’s son recently published serve as a reminder that email is a very powerful tool – one that can be both beneficial and detrimental. The President’s son has admitted that, in hindsight, he should have handled the situation differently. He’s probably referring both … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí Another successful seminar in the books! Thank you to the nearly 400 attendees who came from near and far. We hope you were able to get a “glimpse into the future” of Labor & Employment law. Check out our Facebook album with photos from the event to see if you can spot yourself or your … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí Yahoo! has taken several hits in the last six months for failing to protect its users’ electronic information. Its September, 2016 announcement of a massive 2014 data breach that exposed the email addresses and other personally identifiable information (“PII”) of approximately 500 million accountholders derailed its proposed merger with … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí Did she really think she’d get away with misappropriating 600 files from her former employer by surreptitiously downloading them onto a USB drive? That’s what a former global marketing executive for Pfizer recently did just before she resigned. Oh, and she apparently also sent to her personal email account … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí Not really. On October 25, 2016, the White House issued a call to action urging states to reform their non-compete laws. The call to action acknowledges that non-compete agreements are appropriate in certain circumstances, (for example, to protect trade secrets), but expressed the view that employers are, in many instances, … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí At the risk of reinforcing the notion of lawyers and human resources professionals as being the “no fun” bunch, we offer some practical tips to avoiding the unsuspecting tricks employers may experience after treating employees to Halloween cheer. First, while many will revel in the opportunity to wear a … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí It’s time! An employee needs to go. The departure needs to be a clean break with no threat of future litigation. A severance pay agreement, in exchange for a promise to never bring a claim against the company or speak ill of the company, looks like a good idea. … Continue Reading
With Hurricane Matthew expected to hit the east coast this week, Floridians are stocking up on water, batteries, gas, and canned food. It’s important to be prepared and plan ahead for your home and family. For those in Human Resources, it is also a good time to plan ahead for what happens with employees’ pay … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí Many employees enjoy working for employers who “do good” in the world. Making money is important, but not always the sole mission of the employer. A large number of companies and their employees are involved in charities and volunteerism. However, a rising number of employers are making a profit … Continue Reading
Ver la versión en español aquí The Zika virus — a disease spread primarily through mosquito bites — continues to make international headlines. While the virus is not new, it is new to the Americas. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), outbreaks have been reported in at least 51 countries or territories. Brazil … Continue Reading
