Lisa Nagele-Piazza, SHRM-SCP, J.D. is a senior legal editor and covers state and federal employment law developments for SHRM Online. Prior to joining SHRM, she was a reporter for Bloomberg BNA’s Daily Labor Report and also served as a human resources and legal consultant to small businesses. She graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in HR management from the University of Colorado. She also holds a juris doctor degree from the University of Miami School of Law and a master’s degree in international business law from Georgetown University Law Center.
Company dress codes run the gamut from requiring workers to wear formal business attire to allowing them to sport jeans and T-shirts. Employers can usually set guidelines for business-appropriate attire, but they may face lawsuits if they get too particular about how women or men should dress.
Over half the states now have comprehensive medical marijuana laws, and with the proliferation of such laws has come a shift in how courts view workplace drug policies. That means employers may want to update their approach.
Here are some key points for employers, as identified by a panel of attorneys at the recent 11th Annual American Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Conference.
New workplace laws on minimum wage, paid sick leave, criminal background investigations and more are popping up all the time—and they don't always take effect at the beginning of a new year. HR professionals need to communicate these changes with their workforce as the laws become effective, but how often should you revise your employee handbook? Employment attorneys told SHRM Online that the answer depends on a few factors.
Federal and state legal developments over the last year brought a lot of changes that impact workplace policies and procedures, making it critical for companies to review their handbooks for compliance.
"2016 was the busiest year I can recall in this regard," said Elaine Diedrich, an attorney with Littler in Pittsburgh.
