law + order

Wondering what’s legal and illegal at work? Answers to your questions about law + order at work.

are my longer hours unfair to my coworker?

A reader writes: I work in an office with two full-time employees, a manager, and 80+ contract employees. Jane, the other full-time employee, and I both support the contract employees in vital, yet different ways. Let’s say that she schedules appointments, and I process payments. Each office in our company has a scheduler and a […]

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my company says we can’t have a women-only event

A reader writes: I’m facing an issue similar to one you’ve addressed before, but with the current political climate around DEI initiatives, I’m concerned your advice might have shifted. I’m a woman in leadership at a U.S.-based company. We’ve been planning a company-sponsored off-site event for women in IT, inviting anyone who identifies as a […]

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did I help my mother embezzle money?

A reader writes: This is not a current issue, but it’s something that has been eating at me for a long time. I’m trying to figure out if I unwittingly helped someone embezzle money. I believe the statute of limitations has passed for this (potential) crime in the state that it took place in. It […]

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questions from federal workers who are currently under attack

I am being inundated with letters from federal employees and others affected by the new administration’s changes in the last week — which have included ending investigations and enforcement related to discrimination in the workplace (*see note below); illegally firing 17 inspectors general; laying off employees working on accessibility, equity, and diversity; freezing or cancelling […]

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my employer fined me $90 for being late

I’m off for the holiday, so here’s an older post from the archives. This was originally published in 2018. A reader writes: My company has a ridiculous late fine policy: you will be fined $2 for every minute, starting from 9:01 a.m. So if you come in at 9:05 a.m., that’s $10 you gotta pay […]

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a federal judge has blocked the new overtime rule

A federal judge in Texas has blocked a new rule that would have expanded access to overtime pay to millions more salaried workers. And not only that — the court also struck down the increase that already took effect on July 1 of this year. The background: In the U.S., all workers are classified as […]

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is it OK for job postings to require a “clean-cut appearance”?

A reader writes: There is a small family-owned butcher shop near me. They list job postings on their Facebook page, and I’ve noticed every time they post for counter staff, that they include “clean-cut” or “clean-cut appearance” in their list of requirements for applicants. I don’t believe this is specifically about food handling/sanitation requirements, since […]

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new manager is angry that I’m pregnant

A reader writes: I’ve just gone through a long interview process for a job I was referred to a while back. I have not been actively applying for jobs because I am pregnant but this one came to me. During the process, I realized this is the best job I’ve ever been considered for — […]

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