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
Legal Issues
Recent Legal Issues Articles
9 Avoidable Workplace Health and Safety Hazards
Workplace health and safety hazards can be costly (to lives and the bottom line), but the good news is that they are largely preventable if you take the righ... 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
A Virtual World Spawns a Very Real Lawsuit
Users of virtual world Second Life are seeking very real money to compensate them for their in-game loss of property ownership. Here's how the case affects you. Read more
How to Contest an Unemployment Claim
If you feel a former worker is filing an unemployment benefits claim that you should not have to pay, there are steps you can take to contest it. Read more
Employees Fired for Pursuing Alleged Shoplifter
Should your company policy prohibit an employee from preventing crime? Read more
Should You a Company Sue Over Social Media Comments?
Rule of thumb: Probably not. Here's the tale of one company that's trying -- and what action you can take. Read more
Groupon Requires Companies to Honor Gift Certificates for Five Years
Thinking of trying Groupon? Settlement terms of a lawsuit clarify that all merchants must accept a coupon for as much as five years. Read more
High Times for Employers Over Oregon Medical Marijuana Ruling
Oregon's highest court rules that employers don't have to accomodate medical marijuana use despite a state law allowing approved patients to light up. Read more
Yelp Wants Your Help
The controversial local review site is looking to appoint an advisory board to help it "better serve the business community." 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
How to Communicate in a Crisis
A guide to emerging with reputation intact after a crisis threatens your company Read more
How to Prevent Identity Theft in Your Business
Of all the security issues companies face, identity theft is one of the scariest, since it has the power to damage your relationship with key customers and e... Read more
Employee Discrimination Claims Hit Record High in 2009
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission won $294 million on behalf of employees in 2009, the highest amount yet. Here's how you can avoid becoming a target. Read more
Yelp's Legal Troubles Mount
A San Francisco furniture store this week added its name (and court papers) to the list of small businesses accusing Yelp of extortion. Read more
Never Work for Chump Change
How much you should pay yourself, how to make the most of empty space, and what to do when under legal attack Read more
How to Negotiate a Contract With a Big Client
What you push for in your contract negotiation Read more
States Propose Limiting Credit Checks by Employers
At least 16 states are considering legislation to ban or limit an employer's ability to run background credit checks on potential hires. Read more
How to Find a Good Patent Lawyer
Your great idea needs protection. Here's a guide to searching for a reputed and effective patent lawyer. Read more
Yelp Lawsuit Alleges Extortion Tactics
Customer-review website Yelp's sales tactics included demanding $300 monthly payments in exchange for removing negative reviews, a class-action lawsuit alleges. Read more
How to Create a Drug and Alcohol Policy
Your guide to crafting a drug and alcohol policy that can protect you and your employees from the destructive behavior caused by substance abuse 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
Should Your Lawyer Specialize in Entrepreneurship?
Law schools will begin offering a specialized degree in entrepreneurship next year. But will the owners of start-ups consider this specialty essential when h... Read more
How to Manage an Independent Contractor
Due to the independent nature of contract work, it can be a tricky thing to manage, even for experienced CEOs. Here's a look at the best practices for when t... 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
Do You Have to Pay Employees for Snow Days?
You still need to hand over a paycheck for a snow day in most cases, according to the Labor Department. Read more
How to Keep Office Romance From Poisoning the Workplace
With office romance on the rise -- and employees are worrying less about hiding it -- here's how to keep from flirting with disaster. Read more
Will Your Texting Policy Stand Up in Court?
A new Supreme Court case casts a shadow on employee text messaging rules. The case involves an employer sued for reading an employee's (highly sexual) text m... Read more
Single Mother Wins $200,000 in Job Bias Case
Dena Lockwood says her employer fired her after she stayed home from work to care for a sick child. Read more
PetSmart Fires Employee Who Brought Dog to Work
PetSmart fired employee Eric Favetta for "theft of services" after he parked Gizmo, his 3-year-old Belgian Malinois, in the store's doggie daycare facility. Read more
Where Every Day is Take Your Baby to Work Day
Why some companies are allowing employees to bring their babies to the office. Read more
How to Protect Your Trade Secrets
Advice for the small-business owner on protecting trademarks, writing nondisclosure agreements, and other tools for protecting intellectual property. Read more
