Same-Sex Relationships and Employee Benefits The federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) defines ‘marriage’ as between one man and one woman, thereby restricting the definition of ‘spouse’ to an opposite sex partner for purposes of federal law and benefits. This article explains what rights may be available to same-sex partners as the laws in certain states change to allow same-sex marriage or to recognize civil unions among same-sex partners. → Read More
Paternity Leave Paternity leave may be possible under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which provides that employees may receive up to twelve weeks of unpaid leave from work in order to care for an immediate family member, which can include paternity leave for a newborn baby. → Read More
What is vesting? The term vesting means that a secured right is in place and cannot be taken away. Vesting commonly refers to whether or not the money that has been set aside for you in a retirement plan is yours to keep if your employment is terminated. → Read More
Are pension benefits taxable? Whether your pension benefits are taxable depends on several factors. Your pension benefits can be fully or partially taxable depending on how and when you contributed to the fund. It is also important to note that employer-funded pensions are treated somewhat differently than IRA and 401(k) accounts. → Read More
Are employers required to reimburse for travel expenses? (2025 Answers) No, unfortunately, employers are not required to reimburse employees for expenses incurred in connection with their work, including travel expenses, unless it is required under an employment contract, or the employer promised to reimburse the expneses, or the employer reimburses some but not all employees, a possible employment discrimination claim. → Read More
Sinclair Employees Say They Can’t Afford to Quit Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is making it hard for employees to quit by imposing financial penalties if they do so — even if they later do not go to work for the competition. → Read More
Employer Cannot Rescind Job Offer to Medical Marijuana User Employers’ “zero tolerance” policies for drug use are becoming increasingly problematic in the face of new laws legalizing the use of marijuana for social and medical purposes. → Read More
Government Backs Engineers Who Want to Unionize The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued a complaint against a company that allegedly violated federal labor laws when it fired 14 engineers who tried to form a union. → Read More
Accommodations for Employees with Disabilities The point at which an employer must begin working out a plan to accommodate a disabled employee depends on the employee’s job and the employer’s ability to accommodate. When determining a time frame and the accommodations made, the key phrase is’reasonable.’ All rules and guidelines for disabled employee accommodations can be found in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and its subsequent provisions. → Read More
What can I do to prove that sexual harassment took place if there were no witnesses? To be successful at a sexual harassment claim, the best thing you can do is keep detailed records of everything that occurs. You should also determine what your company policy is regarding harassment and make sure you take any and all steps available to you in order to report the sexual harassment to the appropriate parties within your company. → Read More
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