News & Insights

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended prohibits employment discrimination and retaliation by employers against employees who file claims. Recently, retaliation claims have surpassed all other types of claims made by employees to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). While the EEOC guidance manual has not permitted employers to avoid claims of retaliation by the employer’s showing that there were other legitimate reasons for adverse action against an employee, the Un...

Many businesses have started Facebook and LinkedIn pages as part of their marketing campaigns and a recent 2013 CareerBuilder.com survey reports that 39% of employers search social networking sites to screen job applicants. Whether on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or personal blogs, social networking on the internet is a quickly evolving business risk. The attached article outlines the risks of using social networks and how to protect you and your business.

Staffing up for the start of a new school year has generated a number of inquiries about the Americans with Disabilities Act and related state laws. Following is a brief summary that provides general guidance. Each situation is unique but every situation requires proper handling and, most importantly, documentation.

Under Title VII, an employer can be strictly liable for workplace harassment if the victim’s harasser is a supervisor; but what is the difference between an employee and a supervisor? Below you will find information about Title VII, the recent case of Vance v. Ball State University 646 F.3d 461 (2013), and how you as a contractor can protect your staff and your business through education.

In 2011, changes to 24 P.S. § 1-111 (Act 24) were passed tightening the state’s qualifications for certain employees working with or around children by expanding the list of disqualifying offenses and by making those convictions a lifetime ban as opposed to a short term (five year) restriction. Since that time the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania has issued several opinions holding that the modified statute was “unconstitutional as applied” in several cases but has not held that the words o...

Whether you are a small or large business owner, an HR professional, or an employee, it is important to understand the basics of Employment Law. Employment laws are in place to ensure that the workplace you provide, or are a part of, is safe and fair. This article covers general information on Equal Opportunity Employment Laws and reviews the regulations under the domain of the Equal Opportunity Commission.

It was a great pleasure to join the PSBA team as they visited Meadville, Washington and Gettysburg during the Regional trip held the last week of March. Each evening session was well attended and we had great participation from the audience. Of course there were a few questions we didn’t get to or we wanted to research the topic a bit more before answering to get the details straight. These excellent questions from the March Regionals are answered below in potpourri fashion.