It is no surprise that companies today actively encourage their employees to engage in marketing and business development through use of social media outlets like Twitter and LinkedIn. But when an employee decides or is asked to leave the company, a dispute can, and with increasing frequency likely will, ensue over who owns these social media accounts. They were created and developed on company time with company resources, seemingly making them a company asset. The followers (or connections in the case of LinkedIn) of such accounts are, however, unique to…
Read MoreThe Military Spouse’s Residency Relief Act
The new Military Spouse’s Residency Relief Act may raise questions for many employers about the tax treatment of wages for the spouses of active duty military personnel. The MSRRA could have a particularly notable impact in military heavy states like Virginia. In short, the MSRRA exempts from state income tax the wages of the spouses of military personnel who move into a state to be with their service member spouse, even if that state otherwise would impose an income tax on the employee. The wages the employee earns will be…
Read MoreGender Explicit Language Is Enough for Hostile Environment Case
The Eleventh U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in Reeves v. C. H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc., recently gave the go-ahead for a woman’s hostile work environment claim based on the pervasive use of sexually explicit language in the workplace. Of particular interest in the case, the offensive language was not directed at the claimant. The claimant worked as a transportation sales representative for a shipping company. She was the only woman working in the sales area with six male co-workers. The work spaces were open cubicles. The sales workers could…
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