Is this a conflict of interest?
I am the part-time director of a charity, and also have a business. Is it legal for my business to sell materials to the charity, [...]
About Ann Kiernan
Ann Kiernan has litigated claims of wrongful discharge and discrimination before state and federal courts and administrative matters before the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights, the National Labor Relations Board and the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, representing both employers and employees. Ms. Kiernan co-hosted The Employee Rights Forum, a weekly radio call-in show reaching up to a half-million listeners in the New York metropolitan area, and her articles on employment law have been published in many books and magazines. Both as a firm partner and as a director, Ms. Kiernan gained solid experience in management and human resources compliance. She has worked with Fair Measures since 1997.Do we have to pay employees for dropping off the mail at the post office?
At the end of the day, employees drop off the company mail on their way from the office to their home. Does this time need [...]
Can I be fired because I went to drug rehab?
After I failed a drug test I was not fired but sent to outpatient drug rehab. I stopped using drugs and maintained my job at [...]
Can I use a salaried employee’s PTO to pay for hours missed at work?
Posted 06-08-2011 Ann Kiernan replies: You sure can! According to the Department of Labor Fact Sheet: "Deductions from pay are permissible when an exempt employee: is [...]
Is it legal for an employer to lay someone off via text message 40 minutes before it’s time to punch in?
Posted 06-08-2011 Ann Kiernan replies: Assuming that it is otherwise legal to do the layoff, no special formalities are required. But even if it's legal [...]
Does an employer have to accommodate employees who do not speak English?
Hi! I have a Spanish speaking employee who is having trouble using the time card system set up by HR. It is an online system, [...]
Is it legal to tell anyone about a termination before telling the affected employee?
When an employee is going to be terminated, is it illegal to tell another non-management or non-administrative employee about the firing before telling the employee [...]
Is a company required to pay contract labor time and a half for any hours over 40 in a work week?
Posted 05-11-2011 Ann Kiernan replies: Yes, assuming that they are performing non-exempt work. There is no special rule for contract workers. They're classified the same as [...]
Do unfounded complaints constitute harassment?
One of my employees quit two months ago, and filed a complaint to HR (5 pages) about me, completely unfactual. She then had a friend [...]
I am late for work because of a disability. Can my employer dock my pay?
Is it legal for my employer to dock my pay for an extra 20 minutes per 8 hour shift for a urinary disability that my [...]