Recent Articles from Todd Fredrickson
How to Recognize and Address Workplace Sexual Harassment
Although the concept of sexual harassment is by no means new, it seems many employees and employers still don’t get it.
Got interns?
With the recession dragging on and unemployment still stubbornly high, employers have been quick to embrace unpaid internships in recent years. And job-seekers have been eager to showcase their work ethic and to make workplace connections that might lead to a fulltime position. Interns are typically undergraduate students who are either unpaid or receive a […]
Beware March Madness
Employers are usually leery of employees spending company time on issues that aren’t directly related to the job. This is especially true of activities that may open the employer to liability issues. Many employers are in a quandary at this time of year with the approach of “March Madness,” the annual college hoops bonanza that […]
Beware of blogs
Blogs are booming. According to current estimates, there are more than 150 million Weblogs or “blogs” live on the Web today. And it is thought that some 900,000 new blog postings are added daily. Most have nothing to do with the workplace, though disgruntled employees or ex-employees increasingly are using blogs to lash out at […]
Whatever you do—no mistletoe!
After two years of downsizing, cutbacks and general austerity, the signs are there that corporate America is feeling more confident about business prospects and is once again warming up to that old ritual, the holiday party. According to the Bureau of National Affairs Inc., an Arlington, Virginia-based research firm, 76 percent of employers nationally will […]
Office politics
With this year’s election season being particularly heated and the temperature still rising, both employers and employees should be cautious about politics on the job. The First Amendment generally won’t help those whose political passions boil over at work and an employer can generally limit employees’ political speech in the workplace. A cautionary tale unfolded […]
Employee or independent contractor?
Businesses are always looking for ways to save money while maintaining productivity, especially in trying economic times. One way of achieving this has been for companies to hire independent contractors in lieu of employees. Businesses can reap several benefits, both financial and legal, from hiring properly classified independent contractors. On the one hand, they can […]
Fidelity sacks fantasy football players
Employees may well be a little more circumspect when approaching this year’s NCAA Tournament pools. Last month, Fidelity Investments made national headlines when it fired four employees for participating in a fantasy football league. For the uninitiated, fantasy football participants are organized in a competitive league, earning “fantasy points” by using the statistics of real[...]