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
KingSpry Blog
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
Revisiting Your Handbook Doesn’t Have To Be A Drag
As I was driving to work this morning, I saw an advertisement for electronic cigarettes and I started to wonder if existing policies concerning tobacco use on employer’s property would cover such a thing? This raises a common theme about which we employment attorneys are always cautioning our clients, that periodically, administration/management needs to look at existing policies or handbooks to … [Read more...] about Revisiting Your Handbook Doesn’t Have To Be A Drag
New Federal Law Affects Foster Children in Many Ways; Improves State Adoption Incentives; Also Beefs up Child Support Enforcement
On September 30, President Obama signed into law the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act. The provisions of the law are expected to reduce the deficit by $19 million over the next 10 years. Protecting Children At Risk of Sex Trafficking The law establishes a national advisory committee to provide guidance, over the course of four years, on best practices in responding to sex … [Read more...] about New Federal Law Affects Foster Children in Many Ways; Improves State Adoption Incentives; Also Beefs up Child Support Enforcement
