A decision earlier this week by a Federal District Court Judge here in Minneapolis offers some very useful guidance on accommodating requests for religious accommodations by employees.
Celestica Corporation operates a manufacturing plant in Arden Hills. Adecco USA provides temporary employees to Celestica. The plaintiffs are practicing Muslims who allege that Celestica discriminated against them by [...]
Accommodating Employees’ Religious Beliefs
More on unpaid internships
I wrote about the renewed attention on and risks of using unpaid interships here. Now, the Department of Labor has come out with a useful Fact Sheet on the issue.
News from across the pond: a no staff, paperless law office
It seems British lawyers are jumping on the “virtual law firm” bandwagon. They seek to develop “a fresh way of working,” using technology ”to give a streamlined service without the traditional law firm infrastructure” and offering ” greater value for money and certainty on fees.”
Sounds familiar!
I’m on the ABA Blawg Directory!
My blog is now listed on the ABA’s Blawg Directory. Big time here we come!
Don’t Miss the Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute
Anyone who deals with human resources issues should consider attending the Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute on May 24 and 25 at RiverCentre in St. Paul. The conference offers 103 different substantive sessions and a terrific faculty (including me)! You will also walk away with terrific written materials, including the new Discipline and Discharge Handbook. [...]
Fire your unhappy employees!
What is the secret to having happy employees? According to this business owner, it’s two-fold: treat them well, and fire the unhappy ones. “As a manager you cannot make everyone happy. You can try, you can listen, you can solve some problems, you can try some more. But there comes a point when you are [...]
Employee Privacy Rights
This morning there are a couple of interesting privacy stories that serve as good reminders of best practices in this area. The first arises in connection with a union arbitration over discipline meted out to an employee of a municipal liquor store in Paynesville, Minnesota. As you know, these types of arbitrations usually depend largely [...]
Great advice on using e-mail
This article from yesterday’s NY Times on the continued importance of business travel contains some great advice from Don Lents, chairman of the Bryan Cave firm:
“You should never engage in a disagreement electronically. If you are going to disagree with somebody, you certainly don’t want to do it by e-mail, and if possible you don’t [...]
Creative Motion Practice
Reading this motion – To compel defense counsel to wear shoes without holes at trial – has got me thinking about all sorts of other motions that I’ve overlooked in the past. To wit:
Motion to require counsel to use mouthwash;
Motion to prohibit counsel from wearing that hideous tie (you know which one I mean);
Motion to [...]
OSHA is driving nicer cars
U.S. marshals last week seized a black 1992 corvette at the home of the president of Brocon Petroleum after the company failed to pay $7,500 in back wages to a former employee. The back wages were the result of a consent judgment filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey to resolve a [...]
