Land Shark … I Mean, Candygram!

Fortenberry v. Gemstone FoodsIf one of your employee suffers an “adverse” outcome, don’t be surprised after the fact by a supervisor who struggles to “yeah, but…” for a valid reason. In Fortenberry v. Gemstone Foods, you’ll find a road map for how not to manage an otherwise salaried workforce. The production managers, maintenance managers and …

When Is An Unpaid Intern Not?

The US Dept of Labor (USDOL) recently scrapped the 2010-era six-factor rigid test, in favor of a seven-factor flexible test that two influential courts of appeal promulgated. Don’t be fooled though — if you’re not paying interns who are doing work that you’d otherwise be paying a real employee (or real vendor or subcontractor) to …

The Spam Filter Dog Ate Your E-Mail Notice

Just as pleading that the dog ate your homework, you won’t get far with a judge by pleading that you never received an important legal notice because it must have gone to the spam folder. In Emerald Coast Utilities v. Bear Marcus Pointe, the utility ended up having to pay BMP’s legal fees not because …

Dreamers, Nightmares, I-9 Forms, DACA and ICE

Like a good horror movie, complying with US immigration laws can seem like a nightmare. in The  Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (“IRCA”) requires every employer to verify the eligibility of most of its workers. The “most” part might be startling to you? Yes, most and not all. If you have someone on your payroll …

Packing a Punch(tuation)

You’ve probably seen clever musings about the need for commas. “Let’s eat, Grandma!” versus “let’s eat Grandma” goes from joyful to dreadful, all for want of a lowly comma. In O’Connor v. Oakhurst Dairy, the lowly comma brought down a giant. Maine’s overtime statute says that the employer doesn’t have to pay overtime for people …

Don’t Share a Toothbrush… or Your Login Credentials

Ew, ick, right? Sharing a toothbrush… Sharing login credentials should generate the same kind of “ew ick” response if you want to make sure you don’t end up in federal prison for violation of the  things like the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) or the Economic Espionage Act (EEA). If your company subscribes to …