Maryland is an "at-will employment" state, which means that either the employer or the employee can terminate the employment relationship, unless a binding contract stipulates otherwise. In the absence of a contract, a resignation or dismissal can be for any reason or...
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Statistical Analysis Helps Avoid Pay Discrepancies
It is good for employers to do a statistical analysis of employee compensation periodically. It can help identify adverse compensation statistics specific to such demographics as race, gender, country of origin or other common threads. This analysis can help root out...
Denny’s Faces Class Action on Behalf of 8,400 Servers
A three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that the diner chain failed to pay proper wages to servers. At issue were tasks that did not relate directly to their positions as servers. The lead plaintiff, Lindsay Rafferty, is a former...
Microsoft to review sexual harassment policies
Critics have attacked the technology industry for decades over its treatment of women. There were stories of women dismissed for not accepting sexual advances from coworkers and managers, disregarded as intellectually inferior, or questioned for lack of commitment to...
Update Your Company’s Hiring Protocols to Address Remote Interviews
The COVID pandemic changed how almost every organization functions. For many, this involves the extensive use of video conferencing, to the point where many who work in offices are comfortable running meetings online. It has even bled into our personal lives, where...
Feds Sue Business Who Paid in Oil-Soaked Pennies
It sounded more like an urban myth than a true story. An owner of an auto repair shop in Peachtree City, Georgia, left a pile of 91,500 oil-soaked pennies on the driveway of a former employee who quit. Miles Walker claimed that he initially cut a $915 paycheck, but it...
Federal Contractor Sued for Refusal to Hire a Pregnant Job Applicant
Workers in the United States enjoy many legal protections under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which forbids discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin. So, it is surprising that a Virginia Beach-based engineering firm and...
Companies Need Hiring Protocols that Accommodate use of Video Platforms
Many things have changed over the last few years. One major shift has been working from home and conducting meetings via video conferencing. While some are happy to be back in the office, it is likely that video conferencing is here to stay. Managers and HR staff also...
Non-competes should only go so far
It makes sound business sense for companies to include non-compete agreements in their onboarding or exit package. The goal is to prevent proprietary information and trade secrets from falling into the hands of direct competitors. Nevertheless, turnover is...
The gender-based pay gap is still a problem
Many businesses tout a model where employee pay is based on merit, skill and experience. However, the much-admired Pew Research Center released a new study on gender and pay in 2020. It found that women earn 84% of what men earn for similar work. This number remains...