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Most American workers are offered more vacation time than ever. And we’re still loathe to take a day off. Some companies are offering unlimited vacation time, and others are forcing employees to take time off. (These two trends may even be related.) And despite employers’ best intentions, there’s still the issue of vacation shaming – judging employees and peers for taking time off work. So small business owners are back to the same old conundrum: how do you encourage employees to take the time off they need while maintaining the focus, commitment, and productivity necessary to stay afloat and grow?...

Fitbit is active in the legal arena again. It has been embroiled in numerous patent infringement and trade secret cases over the last few years with companies such as Jawbone and Valencell. No Merit … OK, Wait, Maybe… Immersion had tried, unsuccessfully, for years to settle this disagreement while Fitbit continued to use the technologies in multiple products, including Flex wristband and Blaze smartwatch. Fitbit claimed it really thought that it wasn’t violating any of these patents and that Immersion’s claims had “no merit....

Man’s best friend can have a lot of bite, and this week is Dog Bite Prevention Week! Did you know that there are some dog bite laws out there? And, dog bite attorneys? There are a lot of things you can do to get yourself educated about your furry friends. Dog bite prevention week can be summed up by getting a bit more knowledgeable about (1) tips to prevent dog bites for both yourself, and your pooch if you have one and (2) what the legal ramifications and remedies are for dog bites....

Welcome to the new FindLaw series, “If I Find,” where we’ll discuss the rule of finders keepers as it applies to different topics. We hope you’ll check back regularly! If you’ve ever lost a cell phone, raise your hand. I know I have. If you find a lost cell phone, give it back! Finding a lost cell phone, especially a shiny new iPhone, can seem like hitting a jackpot. Even if you don’t need it, you could probably sell it for a lot of money (unless the phone has a new smartphone kill switch)....

Every person notices the intimidating warnings on pillows and mattresses that say it’s against the law to remove the tags. As a child, the prospect of being hauled off to jail for snipping off a tag tickled your fancy; perhaps some of the intrigue has lasted into adulthood. But is it actually illegal to remove mattress and pillow tags? If you’ve lawfully purchased the pillow or mattress, the answer is no....

There’s a bit of controversy among pet owners about whether its legal to hit your pets. Animal Cruelty Laws Vary by State Many pet owners consider their pets children. And just like disciplining children, the legality of physically disciplining your pet depends in large part on what state you live in as well as the degree of force used. In some states, such as Massachusetts, animal cruelty laws forbid torturing, tormenting, or “cruelly” beating an animal....

Comedian Jamie Kennedy is all business when it comes to contracts and endorsement deals. The funnyman signed a $500,000 contract (in addition to stock options) with Yoostar to make three personal appearances and appear in 25 original clips for the self-described social entertainment website. Yoostar is a social media site that allows users to “put themselves” in famous television and movie scenes and act alongside the cast. The star of “The Jamie Kennedy Experiment” claims that Yoostar overpromised and underdelivered when it came to his promotional agreement and is now suing the company for $250,000 and stock options, according to The Hollywood Reporter....

There is again more news from the site of the mine explosion at the Massey Energy Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia. On August 9, investigators confirmed that the methane monitors at the scene of the April 5 mine explosion had not been tampered with. The methane monitors were taken from what is known as a longwall mining machine. The monitors are designed to shut down the mining machines when they detect levels of methane gas that could be explosive, according to a report by the Associated Press....

The Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital in Nevada is facing a class action lawsuit filed on behalf of former patients that claim the hospital “dumped” them. Rawson-Neal is no stranger to these allegations and has faced lawsuits in the past over the practice. Additionally, it is estimated that Rawson-Neal has dumped nearly 1,500 patients by providing them one-way bus tickets to cities all across the country. For those that don’t know, when a hospital involuntarily discharges a patient rather than continuing to provide the needed treatment or a referral and transportation to a more suitable facility, this is called dumping....

Businesses large and small struggle to balance effective internet use by employees with unwanted personal use. A recent report by a Silicon Valley network security company portrays the scene at most large organizations as a free-for-all, with employees doing whatever necessary to use the applications they want and organizations knowing next to nothing about the file sharing applications running rampant on their networks. With increased risk accompanying the increased productivity technology brings, businesses should adopt a network usage policy and take a few key steps to make sure it’s effective....

It’s getting to be that time of year when the country struggles with tax forms, tax returns, tax software, tax laws, tax people, tax bills, and everything else to do with taxes. For business owners, tax season is even more hectic as not only are individual returns due for owners, but they must get all their employee, and contractor, tax forms out, or face serious penalties. Apart from having someone to lean on during the troubling, and taxing, times between New Years and mid-April, there are a quite a few benefits to spouses running a business together....

These days you may get more than an espresso shot when ordering at a Starbucks coffeehouse. The Starbucks chain is backing off the gun control debate as it has been the latest site of gun owners proudly displaying their firearms. Members of the pro gun group OpenCarry.org have been wearing their guns inside Starbucks cafes across the country in Northern California and Virginia. As a result, Starbucks has been caught in the crossfire....

The U.S. Supreme Court’s calendar for March includes seven days of oral argument, but there are a few calendared cases that deserve a bit more of your attention. Here are five appeals that are being closely watched: The High Court is hearing arguments today in Hall v. Florida, which challenges Florida’s standards for making sure the state doesn’t execute “mentally retarded” persons. In Florida, there is a bright-line rule which allows the state to execute inmates with IQ scores above 70....

We love our pets. And we do our best to treat and train them well. But not every pet is perfect – or perfectly trained – and pet injuries happen. From the standard dog bite to our pets being injured themselves or causing us to slip and fall, injuries to pets and from pets are all too common and a common source of litigation. Here’s what you need to know about dog attacks and other pet-related injuries:...

As discussed in a prior post on this blog, the city of Costa Mesa, in southern California, recently passed a city ordinance prohibiting the solicitation of work or donations from passing cars by persons on the street. A police sting to enforce the law resulted in the arrest of 12 day workers who were then deported. The ACLU, in conjunction with the National Day Laborer Organizing Network and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund sued, saying the ordinance prevented certain types of speech based upon its content, an action prohibited under the U....

You’ve been served with a summons to appear at a child support court hearing. But what happens at a hearing, and what are your rights? Child support laws differ by state, but here are some general guidelines about what to expect at a hearing. A child support court hearing can be triggered when one parent requests a child support order, or wants to change an existing order. Even if both parents agree to a change, they must still appear at a court hearing to convince a judge it’s in the best interest of all parties – especially the children....

New York City skateboarders won’t be celebrating the annual ‘Broadway Bomb’ race this year after the event was banned by the city. Or at least, they won’t be celebrating it officially. The race, which goes through an eight-mile stretch of Manhattan down Broadway St, has been going on for 10 years. But the potential size of this year’s race and new city regulations conspired against organizer, Ian Nichols. Nichols has bowed out of the event under the terms of a court order but that may not be enough to stop this annual tradition....

In an attempt to create boundaries and protect students from sexual abuse, a new Missouri Facebook law places strict limitations on teacher-student friendships on social networking sites, calling into question the future of social media in the classroom. The new rules, which are part of the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act, require all school districts in the state to adopt a written policy by January 1, 2012, listing appropriate types of oral and nonverbal personal communication, including electronic media....

It’s January, and time to get your 2011 1099 forms and instructions in order. This year, though, there’s a new player in town: The new Form 1099-K. The new form may increase confusion about 1099 forms and instructions. So here are some Frequently Asked Questions to help clarify what’s required: What are 1099 forms? The IRS provides 1099 forms for taxpayers to report different types of miscellaneous taxable income. (It’s not for wages, which should be reported on employees’ W-2 forms....

Cybersecurity should be one of your business’ highest priorities, yet many employers think that just changing your password regularly is sufficient. Savvy business owners should check out these three cybersecurity tricks you may not have considered: With businesses more and more likely to issue smartphones to their employees, it’s imperative that the data on these mobile devices does not fall prey to cyberattack – or even just garden variety theft. Andrew Hoog, CEO of Viaforensics, told Forbes that companies that issue Android or iPhone devices to employees should be able to “remotely lock, tack, or wipe your phone from anywhere in the world....