Caitlyn Jenner’s appearance on the cover of Vanity Fair is the latest and possibly brightest light to shine on transgender issues in America. And while most of us won’t have the fun of hiring Caitlyn herself, we may have transgender people on our staff soon, if not we don’t already. So what are the issues that transgender employees face? And how can employers be best prepared to handle any legal issues that might arise from having transgender employees?...
Reports today pointed out the possible existence of a 2002 will for Michael Jackson (believed to be his last) that divides his estate amongst his mom, children, and charity, although it looks like Papa Joe was left out. Regardless of questions regarding the validity of Michael Jackson’s will, whatever happens to his assets will probably be complicated by the fact that he had sizeable debts plus varied, complex financial relationships. Indeed, the Wall Street Journal story suggests Jackson died with an astronomical $500 million in debt....
Another innocent person was gunned down last week by law enforcement officers who mistook him for a stabbing suspect. John Winkler, 30, a production assistant on Comedy Central’s “Tosh.0,” was shot and killed by Los Angeles County Sherriff’s deputies Monday, after fleeing an apartment where he was being held hostage, reports the Los Angeles Times. What happens when cops kill innocent people? Investigation and Suspension Like in any unnatural death, there is an investigation of the cause by the police....
Small business owners can now look up their FICO credit scores just like personal consumers, but it won’t be free. With many entrepreneurs relying on small business loans to make their business plans a reality, a FICO score may be the x-factor in landing that crucial funding. So what’s your FICO small business score? The business and personal credit monitoring service Creditera has partnered with FICO (which originally was an acronym for Fair, Isaac, and Company) to provide small business owners with their FICO scores … at a price, reports CNN Money....
If you’re involved in a messy divorce, or maybe one that is going suspiciously smoothly, you may be considering hiring a private investigator (P.I.). Private investigators can often be helpful. For example, a private investigator may be able to find out if your soon-to-be former spouse has been hiding money, misrepresenting their living situation, mistreating the children, or misrepresenting their financial situation in other ways (such as running a cash business on the side)....
Waymo plans to offer driverless taxis in Phoenix by year’s end, and currently has three dozen driverless cars on the road in Silicon Valley. So now that it’s “game on” in the driverless car market, who is liable in the case that one of these driverless cars gets into an accident? It’s an interesting legal riddle that has been batted around for years: a driverless car full of passengers drives down the street....
Our workplaces are becoming more diverse, a reflection of changing national demographics and federal and state anti-discrimination statutes. And employers can help facilitate diversity in the workplace by providing certain employment forms in Spanish. Two of the most important forms you can provide Spanish-speaking prospective employees are an employment application and an independent contractor agreement. Employment Application (Solicitud de Empleo) The first step to workplace diversity is your hiring process. And while there is no legal requirement that an employment application be in an applicant’s native language, it can be your first step in adhering to many anti-discrimination laws....
It’s a new fiscal year, which means it’s time to start filling out and filing your 2012 1099 forms if you want a stress-free tax season. As you probably know, small business owners file self-employment taxes every fiscal year. If you haven’t done it before, it’s a little more complicated than the 1040 form that most people fill out. Among the requirements: You have to file a 1099 form for any taxable income that doesn’t show up on a W-2 form....
Your small business may not get complaints often, but failing to respond to them properly can be costly. A Chinese restaurant in Brookline, Massachusetts, got a taste of customer dissatisfaction from a Harvard business professor who claimed he had been overcharged by all of $4. As Boston.com explains, what followed was an email back-and-forth between the restaurant and the patron – an exchange that went viral. Want to make sure your small business deals properly with customer complaints?...
Running a small business means making deals and agreements all the time. Often it’s just a verbal nod from both parties but deals can mean a written contract. There are lots of business situations where you could use a written contract but there are also some where you almost have to in order to protect your business. Telling the difference is important unless you have enough cash to keep an attorney around full time....
When kids hit their rebellious teenage years, parents often wonder if they can be sued for their children’s actions. In many states, yes, parents are on the hook. Parental liability, however, is dependent on the statutes in your jurisdiction. Depending on where you live, you may be liable for what your kids do and what kind of damage they inflict. Many states have enacted statutes that impose both civil and criminal liability for parents....
The lawsuit is a good reminder for employers to be mindful of wage and hour laws when conducting bag searches for theft prevention. The search itself isn’t problematic as employers typically have the legal right to screen employees for theft. But employers can potentially run afoul of state and federal minimum wage and overtime laws when such searches – conducted at the company’s request and solely for the company’s benefit – are performed without compensation....
Happy twentieth birthday, Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA was originally signed into law by President George H.W. Bush in 1990. The landmark legislation was designed to help Americans who could not receive equal access to facilities due to disabilities. While much progress has been made under the law, it also remains an ongoing source of complaint and controversy. The ADA prohibits discrimination due to disability in employment, State and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications....
Summer is already in full swing, and every year it presents itself with a load of very preventable injuries. So avoid the summertime sadness (sorry Lana Del Ray), and be prepared for the hurt of these five common summer-related mishaps: 1. Grilling Accidents. You may not be Hank Hill when it comes to grilling, but being unprepared for a summer barbeque can end with your meal – and you – going up in smoke....
You’re stressed out and you can’t deal with your job. In fact, it’s the job that’s causing your anxiety and emotional distress, or so you and your psychiatrist believe. You just cannot deal anymore. Does that mean you can get workers’ compensation for this emotional distress? Well, maybe. The answer to that question will depend on where you live and work, what you do, how the injury arose, and more....
Everyone knows that it’s important to have a will. Not everyone, however, can afford to pay someone to write a will. This, of course, leaves the curious wondering whether or not it’s even possible to write your own will. As in, without an attorney. The basic answer is yes, you can write your own will. A will basically does two things: disposes of your property at death and names a guardian for any underage children....
Passengers stranded for days on a Carnival Cruise Lines ship are taking their complaints to court. Now it appears a class action lawsuit is on the horizon. Those aboard Carnival’s “Triumph” cruiseliner didn’t get the vacation they were expecting. They were stuck on the high seas without electricity or running water for five days after a fire knocked out the ship’s power. It’s not surprising that passengers are suing over their ordeal, especially since Carnival appears to be offering a credit for a future cruise instead of a refund....
First the 2013 Super Bowl, Now This. . . Federal class actions over tainted China-manufactured drywall – the defective home-building material that is being blamed for home damage and health problems nationwide – will be combined and heard before a federal judge in New Orleans, according to an order issued on Monday. The decision in the case (titled “In Re: Chinese-Manufactured Drywall Products Liability Litigation”) came in the form of a Transfer Order from the U....
Teachers Beware! America is known for being a litigious society, and no one is immune from a lawsuit, not even a beloved teacher. Though in many instances, a school or school district is named as a defendant in a lawsuit, there are times when teachers are individually sued and held civilly liable. What can a teacher do? In addition to carrying teacher’s insurance to help cover legal costs, teachers may want to steer clear of the following....
A national convenience store chain announced last month that during a routine inspection of gas pumps, it discovered some credit card skimming devices. Casey’s General Stores, Inc. – which has 1900 stores across 14 states – said that it found six card skimmers in Nebraska locations and one in Iowa, The Des Moines Register reported. The company has informed credit card companies but does not know if any information was compromised....
