Q. Why do we have to sign so many consent forms during our infertility treatments? Should we have a lawyer review the consent forms for our own safety before we sign? A. The reason for so many consent forms during the assisted reproductive technology (ART) process is not only to protect you as the patient, but also to protect your Health Care Provider as well. This originates from the legal and … [Read more...] about Connecting the Dotted Lines on Informed Consent
Managing Employee Leave: One Way to Cope with Intermittent FMLA Leave
What is an employer to do when an employee needs to exercise his or her right to take intermittent leave, as allowed under the Family Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”), particularly when the employee holds a position that is valuable to the organization and/or requires reliable attendance? One solution may be to temporarily transfer the employee to another position. For those employers who have not … [Read more...] about Managing Employee Leave: One Way to Cope with Intermittent FMLA Leave
Managing Ebola Concerns in the Pennsylvania Workplace
With Ebola being headline news this fall, words like “quarantine” and “epidemic” are replacing the typical television show water cooler talk in the workplace. Now that there have been confirmed cases of the disease in the United States, employers are concerned about balancing efforts to prevent transmission of the disease with the rights of employees under various employment and labor laws. The … [Read more...] about Managing Ebola Concerns in the Pennsylvania Workplace
School District Is Awarded Costs Against a Parent Under the IDEA
In a case of first impression under the IDEA, the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania rendered a verdict against a parent on behalf of a school district be- cause, the Court found, the parent used an administrative due process hearing for an improper purpose, to needlessly increase the costs of litigation in order to induce the district to pay for tuition for her two sons to … [Read more...] about School District Is Awarded Costs Against a Parent Under the IDEA
Could Your Company’s Anti-Smoking Policy Go Up in a Puff of Water Vapor? What Private Employers Should Consider
The growing use of electronic cigarettes, many of which do not actually involve smoke, is raising concerns about “smoking” in the workplace and employers’ need to take action if they wish to keep employees from using them in the workplace. While some advocacy groups are fighting efforts to prohibit the use of electronic cigarettes with a claim that such items are in fact a smoking cessation … [Read more...] about Could Your Company’s Anti-Smoking Policy Go Up in a Puff of Water Vapor? What Private Employers Should Consider
SCOTUS Sends Mixed Messages about the Status of Same-Sex Marriage
This past Monday, the Supreme Court declined to hear seven (7) Petitions seeking review of rulings that struck down gay marriage bans in five (5) states. The move suggested that SCOTUS was not going to insert itself in the wave of decisions favoring same-sex marriages. Then on Tuesday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that same-sex marriage bans in Idaho and Nevada were … [Read more...] about SCOTUS Sends Mixed Messages about the Status of Same-Sex Marriage