Ask Inc.: Can a New Hire Sign a Non-Compete Later?
Inc.com columnist Jeff Haden is taking your start-up questions. Up this week: How to handle an employee who won't agree to a non-compete. Read more
Employment Law
Recent Employment Law Articles
Would You Fire Someone for Talking to the Press?
A man exercises his right of free speech and gets fired. Read more
What the IRS Wants to Know
Is your independent contractor really an employee? Time to come clean. Read more
Would You Fire Someone for Taking Time Off to Donate a Kidney?
A mother's attempt to save her son spotlights holes in the Family and Medical Leave Act: It doesn't apply to businesses with fewer than 50 employees. Read more
Would You Fire Someone Over a $1.39-Bag of Chips?
A diabetic employee grabbed a bag of chips to stabilize her blood sugar and paid for them as soon as she could. Walgreens fired her. Read more
Would You Fire Someone for Planking?
A GameStop employee posts a photo of himself planking, and gets himself and the co-worker who took the picture, fired. Read more
Would You Fire Someone for Refusing to Get a Flu Shot?
Some Michigan hospitals are making flu shots and other vaccines mandatory for employees. Read more
Would You Fire Someone for Taking Garbage?
An Iowa convenience store employee took no-longer-saleable soup from the dumpster to feed to her dog--and was fired. Read more
Is Your Dress Code Discriminatory?
A 61-year-old lifeguard is suing for age discrimination after he was fired for refusing to wear a Speedo. Read more
When Can You (Legally) Fire an Employee for a Twitter Rant?
The short answer: When you're prepared to accept it's a risk. Read more
Would You Fire an Employee for Trying to Secede From the Union?
A veteran Sarasota Police homicide detective tried to secede from the union. He didn't break any laws, though he may have violated his oath of office. Earlie... Read more
Employee Retaliation Suit Reaches Supreme Court
Eric Thompson was fired by his company three weeks after his wife, also an employee of the company, sued for gender discrimination. He claims it was no coinc... Read more
Gas Station Cashier Fired for Wearing "Say No to Bongs" Shirt
Kenneth McAllister wore the homemade t-shirt to protest his employer's decision to sell bongs and bags of fake marijuana. Read more
Labor Board Backs Workers' Right to Bad-mouth Bosses Online
In what could be a precedent-setting case, a federal agency says employees' right to gripe online is protected. Read more
Does Your Part-Time Employee Qualify for Overtime?
Laws that apply to employees who work even a few hours a week can be tricky to follow. As more businesses hire part-time help, here's how to avoid a problem. Read more
Do Employee Complaints Have to Be Written Down?
The Supreme Court hears a case on what constitutes a formal employee complaint filed under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Read more
Supreme Court's Docket Puts Business in the Spotlight
A look at five pending cases that have the potential to change the way you do business. Read more
Would You Refuse to Hire Someone Wearing Dreadlocks?
The U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission is suing a Virginia company for denying a job to a Rastafarian who wouldn't cut his hair because of his reli... Read more
How to Comply With the Americans With Disabilities Act
Breaking down what the decades-old act means for small businesses. Read more
Would You Fire an Employee for Refusing to Disclose Her Weight?
An Iowa woman takes a stand against her employer on privacy -- and loses her job for it. Read more
Sexual Harassment Complaints by Men Surge
Even as the overall number of complaints drops, men are increasingly calling foul. What are you doing to protect your company from lawsuits and liability? Read more
Stop Enforcing Noncompetes
Because we need to promote competition for labor and talent among start-up companies in fast-growing industries. Read more
Is It Legal To Use Social Network Data When Hiring?
Many start-ups use their Social Network contacts to find additional workers. Why not? Someone's friend of a friend is probably that chef, programmer or ad... Read more
Court Backs Employers on Unpaid Bonuses
A state court rules that employers who are sued over some unpaid bonuses are not subject to stiff penalties associated with wages. Read more
If You Own the Phone, You Can Read the Text Messages
A new Supreme Court ruling says employees' text messages are open to company scrutiny. Read more
How to Manage an Office Bully
The news that former eBay CEO Meg Whitman settled a lawsuit with an employee whom she allegedly shoved has shined a spotlight on office bullying. Here's what... Read more
Would You Fire an Employee Over a Negative Facebook Post?
A pizza restaurant raises hackles – and consciousness – about corporate social media policies by letting a waitress go for ranting about a customer. Read more
Novartis Verdict Opens Door for More Gender Bias Lawsuits
The Swiss pharmaceutical company's total damages bill could top $1 billion - a figure meant to deter it and anyone else from discrimination in the future. Read more
Business Groups Mum on Kagan
The American Enterprise Institute, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and other business groups have so far found little to criticize in the background of Obama's... Read more
Fired Over Breast Cancer?
Here's the case of one company that allegedly ran afoul of the new federal Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, and how you can avoid doing the same. Read more
How a Write a Warning Letter for Employee Conduct
When employee behavior or poor performance don't shape up after verbal warnings, its time to get formal. Here's how to do it right. Read more
Surprised Employer Fires Sex Blogger
A St. Louis blogger thought she went to great lengths to keep her office life and her personal life separate -- but then it all went wrong. A cautionary tale... Read more
Watch Out: That Unpaid Intern Could Cost You
The Department of Labor is cracking down on unpaid internships. Here's what you need to know. Read more
Obama Cracks Down on Use of Contractors
The IRS plans to audit 6,000 companies over the next three years in a bid to crack down on companies that erroneously classify employees as independent contr... Read more
Medical Marijuana Laws Leave Employers Dazed and Confused
It's now legal to smoke pot for medical reasons in 14 states. What does that mean for employee policy? Read more
