Increase pay or limit hours is the choice for many employers effective December 1st under a new Department of Labor rule under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Employers are under more stringent standards concerning over-time pay for non-exempt employees. Most court employees are, and will remain, classified as non-exempt but courts should be aware of the changes. Three factors determine the exempt versus … [Read more...] about Changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
Employment
Are you paying court employees a salary or not?
Two salary issues have been vexing a number of courts: 1) must court employees be paid for every hour worked when they are “salaried” and 2) may court reporters work during the regular work hours when the reporter is preparing a transcript? Both state statutes and case law frequently refer to the salaries of public employees in Indiana, from police officers and public welfare employees to firemen and city employees. … [Read more...] about Are you paying court employees a salary or not?
Protecting What You’ve Got: Preserving Knowledge
Judge Steady, I won the lottery!,” exclaimed Court Reporter Sue Lucky. Yea for twenty-year employee Sue, who is celebrating by resigning that very day to find a new winter home near her grandchildren in Arizona. An employer is lucky to get a week’s notice. All courts are “at will” employers and employees are free to resign at any time. A basic sense of fairness and the threat of bad references are the two major rea … [Read more...] about Protecting What You’ve Got: Preserving Knowledge
Employee Medical Leave Rights: It's Complicated
Once upon a time, the employer determined medical leave. Whether an employee had the ability to stay home when ill without risk of termination depended on the boss. After a nine-year legislative battle, in 1993 Congress enacted the Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA). For many workers, FMLA proved to be a great boon. Parents with newborns don’t have to negotiate for leaves of absence of less than twelve weeks. An i … [Read more...] about Employee Medical Leave Rights: It's Complicated
Americans with Disabilities Act and the Code of Judicial Conduct
The focus of this article is on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the obligations of judges to all persons who use court services and who need accommodation to do so. The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) for many years has made enforcement of the ADA a major priority. A significant part of the DOJ’s focus is on compliance by state and local governments. Type in “ada.gov” on your search engine and … [Read more...] about Americans with Disabilities Act and the Code of Judicial Conduct