Vigilant Blog

“I Really Appreciate the Whole Package” Part 2 of a conversation with Andrea McAuliffe, HR manager at Cutter & Buck, talks about her experience with Vigilant’s workers’ compensation Retro program How has your experience been with the safety side of the Vigilant Retro program? When I started at Cutter & Buck several years ago, I…

A vice president of portfolio management at Digital Realty Trust was fired after reporting to senior management that his supervisor had eliminated internal controls in violation of federal law. The fired worker sued the company under Dodd-Frank, claiming retaliation. This worker’s internal complaint alleging company violations of securities laws triggered federal whistleblower protections without a…

The events are expected to take place 2/16 and today, February 17, 2017. As an employer, if your workers participate in the protest, you will need to decide how to respond. Here are a few issues to consider: Find out the reason for the absence. If the employee says it’s for the Day Without Immigrants,…

A couple of pregnancy discrimination cases recently settled by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) serve as a reminder that an employer’s good intentions in protecting a pregnant employee are not a defense to discrimination. An Eastern Washington fruit grower recently agreed to pay $17,500 to settle an employee’s claim that she was fired nine…

Social Media use and misuse continues to rise amongst employees at all organizational levels. Join Vigilant Employment Attorney Christine Meadows for a lively and interactive discussion as she covers: Current and pending case law, common mistakes to avoid, best practices and policy creation. Event Details: Friday August 14, 2015 8:00 a.m.  – 10:00 a.m. Brickstone…

The U.S. Supreme Court today ruled that same-sex couples have the right to marry in all states, and that all states must recognize same-sex marriages lawfully performed in other states. Two years ago, we reported that the Court upheld the right of states to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. At that time, the federal…

If you pay your employees on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, the 2015 calendar may include an “extra” payday. Many employers pay employees every week (usually 52 paydays per year), or every other week (usually 26 paydays per year). These regular paydays account for 364 days each year. But, since there are actually 365-366 days…

An employee violated his non-competition clause when he abruptly left the company and established a competing business, ruled a federal district court in Idaho. The employee took a large client with him and left the former employer’s office shuttered. His employer sued, but before the trial began, the employee tried to escape any possible financial…

Two female employees have sufficient evidence of extreme and ongoing workplace harassment to argue their claims before a jury, according to a federal district court in Washington. The employees worked as sales account executives for an internet-based media advertising company. The women allege they were repeatedly harangued with sexually explicit emails, some even coming from…

The IRS recently issued final regulations interpreting the Affordable Care Act (ACA) provision that prohibits group health plans from having an eligibility waiting period of more than 90 days. A waiting period is defined as the period of time that must pass before an otherwise eligible individual’s coverage under the employer’s group health plan becomes…

Severance payments for terminated employees are subject to FICA taxes, as long as the severance isn’t tied to state unemployment benefits, ruled the U.S. Supreme Court today. FICA is the Federal Insurance Contributions Act, which requires workers and employers to pay taxes on wages in order to fund Social Security and Medicare. Quality Stores, Inc.,…

A former employee who told his daughter about a confidential settlement agreement with his employer breached the agreement and forfeited his right to the money, ruled a Florida appeals court. An age discrimination lawsuit by the employee was eventually settled with an agreement that included a strict confidentiality clause. After the settlement was reached, Mr….