For invitations to our events and updates on key legal issues and business concerns:
Please Click HerePosted on May 20, 2014 by Ruder Ware Alumni
I have written blogs in the past about obesity not being a protected category under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Wisconsin Fair Employment Act. Over the weekend, the American Medical Association announced that obesity should now be considered a disease. It is anticipated that insurance companies will now recognize obesity as a covered […]
Posted on May 20, 2014 by Ruder Ware Alumni
The news today talks about “government paralysis” and the likelihood that government will not re-focus for several weeks until everything is decided regarding the continuing resolution debate and the debt limit debate. A caution to employers however, that the government paralysis does not mean that you are protected from potential liability for violation of discrimination […]
Posted on May 20, 2014 by Ruder Ware Alumni
A recent decision from the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals (governing Wisconsin) accents the importance of an employer treating employees the same especially in the event of disciplinary action issued to an employee. In this decision, the employer terminated a Hispanic employee but only reprimanded a non-Hispanic employee for conduct in violation of company policies […]
Posted on May 19, 2014 by Ruder Ware Alumni
A few days ago a prospective client flippantly asked me if it could force one of its employees to take FMLA leave. The prospective client was surprised to learn that the answer may be yes [under the right circumstances, of course assuming the employee is eligible for FMLA leave and the reason for the absence […]
Posted on May 19, 2014 by Sara J. Ackermann
Recently a client’s Human Resources Manager complained to me that there was “nothing” the company could do to prevent an employee from “faking a migraine” when she felt like taking off in the middle of the day. This particular employee was certified for intermittent leave under the Family Medical Leave Act, but the same question […]
Posted on May 19, 2014 by Mary Ellen Schill
On October 31 the IRS announced the various contribution and benefit limits applicable to qualified retirement plans, for 2014. Here’s a link to our recent update which includes a handy chart. We’ve become accustomed to getting these annual announcements in mid-October, but as with a lot of other IRS guidance, the government shutdown did have […]
Posted on May 19, 2014 by Sara J. Ackermann
Remember Jack Tripper? Pretending to be gay to stay in the coveted apartment with Chrissy and Janet? Oh, the ruse Jack played for years with multiple landlords who never quite caught on to Jack’s true identity. In the employment setting, the opposite is true. Employees are more likely to hide their gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender identity and pretend […]
Posted on May 19, 2014 by Ruder Ware Alumni
A recent decision from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has opened the door to consideration of a duty to accommodate under the Americans With Disabilities Act that goes beyond the need to accommodate an employee with assistance to perform the essential functions of the employee’s job. In this decision, the 5th Circuit Court of […]
Posted on May 19, 2014 by Ruder Ware Alumni
A colleague wrote recently that the Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled that when determining whether an employee is disabled or not because the employee cannot perform the essential functions of the job, the key document to be considered by the Court is the job description prepared by an employer to describe the […]
Posted on May 19, 2014 by Ruder Ware Alumni
Many states have adopted laws that require mandatory influenza (flu) vaccinations for certain health care professions. A recent hearing on Wisconsin Assembly Bill 247 would take the opposite direction. This proposed legislation would prohibit employers (including health care employers) from taking adverse employment action against an employee who refuses to receive a seasonal flu vaccination. […]