Allyson.Kurker's blog

On March 21, 2011, the First Circuit provided useful guidance for employers responding to employee harassment allegations. Affirming a lower court decision, the First Circuit ruled that (1) employers have wide discretion in determining appropriate discipline in response to an initial complaint of harassment, and (2) an employer cannot be held liable for coworker harassment about which it did not know. Wilson v. Moulison North Corp.

Background

The Players

If you would like quick answers to your employment law questions -- straight from the sources that implement the laws -- look no further. In this blog, I have assembled links to the most commonly accessed employment law resources, including:

* Massachusetts General Laws
* Federal Laws and Regulations
* Federal and State Agencies
* Enforcement Manuals
* Compliance Manuals
* Model Policies
* Statute Guidelines
* Fact Sheets
* Attorney General Advisories
* Resources from the Department of Labor, EEOC, MCAD and Attorney General

With another blizzard predicted to start this evening, I wanted to pass along some information about winter weather policies. I have received a number of questions about these policies over the past few weeks: must I pay employees if the company is open? What about if the company is closed closed? Must employees be paid if the boss stays home? What is common practice?

As is often the case, there are both legal and business considerations. From the legal perspective, start by considering whether the:

(1) employer is open for business