Almost Every Idea and Resource to Help with a Job Search: EMPLOYMENT LAW AND EMPLOYMENT ISSUES THAT COULD END UP LEGAL MATTERS

Chapter 1. Employment Law Guide

Employment Law/ Labor Law/ Jo b Law

The intent of most laws is supposedly to protect workers from unscrupul ous company practices, however, so me are bad for business such as all the regulations trying to stop illegal aliens from working. They do the jobs other people don't want to do. We should be thankful for them.

Laws in the workplace generally follow company size. The larger your company, the more the laws you have to follow.

Some of the workplace laws that apply to all companies with at least one employee are:

Federal and state wage. Federally, they are regulated by the Fair Labor Standards Act/ FLSA, enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division, dol.gov.

Hourly wage laws, U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour division.

Immigration and Nationality Act prohibits employers from discriminating on the basis of citizenship or ethnic origin.

The Equal Pay Act requires all employers to provide equal pay for equal work, regardless of sex.

Child labor laws. The general law is that before hiring a minor, you need to get a work permit from state and/ or federal authorities.

Harassment laws, generally include sexual harassment, gender harassment, harassment based on disability, medical condition, race, pregnancy or childbirth.

Unemployment and disability insurance, state and federal laws require virtually all employers to provide this service to employees.

The federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) is meant to ensure that American companies employ only persons who have the legal right to work in the United States.

Form I-9 must be completed for every employee hired after November 6, 1986.

Posting and Notice requirements. Employers have to post general information regarding sexual harassment, workmen's compensation, etc. by providing pamphlets, posters, etc.

Time-off rules. There are a few civic duties that employers must give employees time off for like voting, jury duty, military service, volunteer firefighting, etc.

Occupational Safety and Health laws, federal, osha.gov.

Uniformed Services Employment and Re-

EmploymentRights Act (USE RRA) of 1994, this law help ex-military people find civilian jobs.

Some of the workplace laws that apply to all companies with at least 15 employees are:

Americans with Disabilities Act/ ADA requires that employers make reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities who are either job applicants or employees.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 barrs discrimination by employers on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

Pregnancy Discrimination Act, 1978, can't discriminate against pregnant women if they're able to do their job duties.

Americans with Disabilities Act, 1990, based on the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title V of the Rehabilitation Act, usdoj.gov/ crt/ada, 800-669-

4000.

Some of the workplace laws that apply to all companies with at least 20 employees are:

Age Discrimination in Employment Act, 1967, for older folks, over 40.

Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985/ COBRA, for companies with 20 or more employees. If employee leaves the company, he can stay on the company health insurance plan for 18 months at his own expense.

Some of the workplace laws that apply to all companies with at least 50 employees are:

Affirmative Action Plans, companies with 50 or employees and at least $50,000 in government contracts must have an affirmative action plan.

Family and Medical Leave Act, 1993, for companies with 50 or more employees, unpaid leave up to 12 weeks to tend to family situations.

Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act/ WARN Act applies to companies with 100+ employees. Employers must notify them 60 days before a lay-off and offer other compensations like retraining into another career.

Some other employment related laws are as follows:

Electronic Communications Privacy Act doesn't cover employees in the course of business. In general, the employer has the right to monitor employees visually with cameras and their communications too (phone, fax, e-mail, internet).

National Labor Relations Act; Labor Management Relations Act aka the Taft Hartley Act gives employees the right to organize and form a union or any manner of a collective bargaining group.

Rehabilitation Act of 1973, prohibits discrimination against disabled individuals by all programs or agencies receiving federal funding.

Vietnam Era Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 requires government contractors to take affirmative action to hire disabled Vietnam vets.

National Employment Lawyers Association

44 Montgomery Street, #2080

San Francisco, CA 94104

415-296-7629

nela.org

Provides a locator for employment lawyers.

Employment Law Websites/ Labor Law Websites/ Job Regulations Websites

Books about personnel management are at #650.13, 658.406 and HE736 or HF5548 at the library. Try #658.311 or HF5549.5 at the library for books dealing with employment law and related issues. Also go to the American Management Association's website amacombooks.com for books about the subject.

shrm.org/law/states/*****toc.asp

shrm.org/law/states/alabamatoc.asp

shrm.org/law/states/newjerseytoc.asp

911-legalhelp.com

abanet.org/disability, mental and physical disability law.

abanet.org/labor/home.html

aclu.org/issues/worker/hmwr, workplace rights

act.org/wwm, world of work.

allexperts.com/q/employment-law-924

allinoneposters.com, labor law posters.

archives.gov/eeo/laws, equal employment opportunity laws.

attorneypages.com/530/

azimynathan.com/about.html, law firm, california.

bartleby.com/65/la/laborlaw.html

blog.laborlawcenter.com labor-law-posters.com/

business.com businessknowhow.net, sell posters.

calchamber.com/hrc, california chamber of commerce. carmitch.com/discrimination.html, georgia employment and labor law firm.

carmitch.com, georgia employment and labor law firm.

catalaw.com/topics/labour.shtml

charlesakrugel.blogspot.com, labor and employment law, hr law.

civilrights.org

cl.idaho.gov/portal/icl/alias_jobservice/, idaho commerce and labor - idaho commerce and labor.

cnr.berkeley.edu/ucce50/ag-labor/7law.htm, agricultural labor law.

coffmancoleman.com/legalnews/legalnews.asp, jacksonville, florida labor and employment law firm.

complianceposter.com/

constitution.org/billofr_.htm, bill of rights.

constructionweblinks.com, laws and regulations industry; by state.

cpwr.com, center to protect worker's rights.

dir.ca.gov/, california department of industrial relations.

dir.ca.gov/labor_law.html

disability.gov

discriminationattorney.com, california employment attorney.

dli.state.pa.us/landi/cwp, child labor law.

dol.gov, department of labor, us.

dol.gov/ dol.gov/compliance/, department of labor's compliance assistance.

dol.gov/compliance/laws/comp-fmla.htm, family and medical leave act.

dol.gov/dol/audience/aud-workers.htm, workers information, us department of labor.

dol.gov/dol/compliance/compliance-majorlaw, major laws.

dol.gov/dol/topic/discrimination/ethnicdisc.htm, sexual and ethnic discrimination.

dol.gov/dol/topic/youthlabor, youth and labor; dol.

dol.gov/ebsa/compliance_assistance.html

dol.gov/elaws/, employment laws.

dol.gov/esa, employment standards administration.

dol.gov/esa/contacts/state_of.htm

dol.gov/whd/state/state.htm, state labor laws.

doleta.gov/oa/eta_default.cfm, employment and training administration.

donnasealeconsulting.typepad.com/workplacehumanrights eridlc.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=hrlaws, employment law resources, certifications, courses and continuing education

duhaime.org/legalresources/employmentlabourlaw.aspx

dwd.state.wi.us/laborlaw

edworkforce.house.gov, committee on education and the workforce.

eeoc.gov, equal employment opportunity law.

eeoc.gov/, u.s. equal employment opportunity commission.

eeoc.gov/employees, equal pay and discrimination compensation.

eeoc.gov/facts/qanda.html, discrimination; eeo, federal laws prohibiting.

eeolaw.com, equal employment opportunity laws.

eff.org/bloggers/lg/faq-labor.php

elinfonet.com, employment law articles abanet.org/labor/

elinfonet.com, employment law information network

elinfonet.com, employment law. las-elc.org, the legal aid society-employment law center

elinfonet.com/fedindex/7

emplawyernet.com

employerdefence.com

employerlawreport.com

employersinc.com, employers association, inc. of minnesota

employerslawyer.blogspot.com

employment.findlaw.com

employmentattorneylosangeles.com grosman.com. legal advice in employment and labour law issues, wrongful dismissal cases, employment contracts and human rights.

employmentblawg.com, labor and employment law, human resources and other work.

employmentguide.com

employment-law.freeadvice.com employment-law.freeadvice.com 65.38.183.238

employment-law.freeadvice.com/sexual_harassment/dress_harassment.htm

employmentlaw360.com

employmentlawalliance.com llrx.com/features/adr.htm, labor arbitration and alternative dispute resolution in employment.

employmentlawfirms.com

employmentlawforum.com

employmentlawgroup.net, washington dc civil rights attorney.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/federal_employees_health_benefit_plan

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/hofstra_labor_and_employment_law_journal

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/job_creation_and_worker_assistance_act_of_2002

erieri.com/freedata/hrcodes/index.htm, economic research institute, laws and definitions.

ewin.com/articles/faq.htm, frequently asked questions about employee relations; access to personnel files, jury duty, severance pay and monitoring e-mail. fairmeasures.com

findlaw.com/01topics/27labor/

fmlaharassmentlaborlawosha.com

freeadvice.com, free legal advice.

garfinkeltrialgroup.com/, law firm, orlando.

getareferral.com, california labor lawyers.

getting-legal-advice.com gigalaw.com

gneil.com, posters.

governmentposter.com, osha posters hg.org/employ.html history.eserver.org/us-labor-law.txt

govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr4227, workforce investment act.

hg.org/employ.html

hofstra.edu/academics/law/law_laborlaw.cfm, hofstra labor and employment law journal homepages.uhwo.hawaii.edu/clear/laborlaws.html

hr.blr.com hr.blr.com, state labor laws and human resources management compliance for your state.

hrdocs.com, government posters.

hrhero.com

hrlawindex.com

hrshopper.com

ideasandtraining.com/employment-law-training.html

iir.berkeley.edu/library/contracts/index.html, the institute of industrial relations, labor contracts database

iir.berkeley.edu/library/laborportal, labor research.

ilis.ilo.org/ilis/natlex/ilntrna.html

ilis.ilo.org/ilis/natlex/ilsearna.html#searchforme

ilo.org/public/english/employment/yen, youth employment; ilo.

in.gov/ai/hr/laborlaw.html, indiana labor laws irmi.com/expert/topics/legaltrends/employmentlaw.aspx joblaw.ca

joblaw.com jobsearch. dead website, try dotdash.com/od/employeebenefits

jobsearch. dead website, try dotdash.com/od/employmentlaw

jobsearchtech. dead website, try dotdash.com/cs/labor_laws_2/a/employee, employee rights.

jobsearchtech. dead website, try dotdash.com/od/federal_labor_law/index

jobsearchtech. dead website, try dotdash.com/od/laborlaws

jobsearchtech. dead website, try dotdash.com/od/laborlaws/

jobsearchtech. dead website, try dotdash.com/od/state_labor_law/

jurist.law.pitt.edu/sg_lab.htm

kclabor.org/law.htm

labor.iu.edu/organizeindiana/documents/

laborandemploymentlawblog.com

labor-employment-law.lawyers.com employmentlawgroup.net, washington dc civil rights attorney.

laborlawcenter.com

laborlawtalk.com/

labourlawblog.typepad.com

law.buffalo.edu/research/workshops/edelman.pdf, law at work.

law.com/jsp/pc/emplaw.jsp

law.com/professionals/emplaw.html

law.cornell.edu, employment law; cornell.

law.cornell.edu/topics/employment.html

law.cornell.edu/topics/employment.html laborlawtalk.com

law.cornell.edu/topics/labor.html law.cornell.edu/topics/table_labor.htm, state labor laws.

law.cornell.edu/uscode/29, links to the labor related federal statutes in the united states.

law.mercer.edu/library/research/legallinks.cfm

law4usa.org

lawmemo.com, employment law from lawmemo

lawmemo.com/

lawprofessors.typepad.com/laborprof_blog

lawprofessors.typepad.com/laborprof_blog lawyerment.com.my/library/doc/empl/, malaysia labor law.

lectlaw.com/temp.html legal-database.com/ legalmatch.com/law-library/article/employment-contract-law.html legalranks.com

legalworkplace.com, from Alexander Hamilton Institute

lera.uiuc.edu/pubs/newsletters/lelnewsletters/

lib.law.washington.edu/ref/labemp.htm

ljextra.com/practice/laboremployment/index.html, employment and labor law, the latest in employment and labor law and news updated daily.

ll.georgetown.edu/lib/guides/labor_employment lorman.com lpa.igc.org/documents/lpd_laborlaw.html lpa.org, trends in labor and employment policy. nela.org, national employment lawyers association.

megalaw.com/top/labor.php, labor and employment law center.

mggbgs.com/, law firm, washington, dc.

monster.ca

mycounsel.com/content/smbusiness/employmentlaw

naalc.org/migrant/english/index.shtml, guide to labor and employment laws for migrant workers in north america, commission for labor cooperation.

nela.org, employment lawyers.

nela.org, national employment lawyers association.

news.findlaw.com/legalnews/business/labor nlrb.gov/, u.s. national labor relations board

nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/workplace-rights, nolo's legal encyclopedia

nolo.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/hr-employment-law, employment rights.

nrtw.org, national right to work legal defense foundation.

oregonlaborlaw.blogspot.com

oregonlaborlaw.blogspot.com laboreducation.org

osha-safety.com osha-safety.org/ pickalawyer.com

postercompliance.com ppspublishers.com prweb.com

rd.business.com, equal employment, discrimination, harassment and related issues.

referral.nolo.com

regulatoryposters.com rifkinfox.com/firm.htm, law firm in orlando, fl.

sbinformation. dead website, try dotdash.com/od/laborlaws/index.htm, employee laws for small business shrm.org

servicelocator.org/owslinks.asp, unemployment state resources.

sspweb.com/scuc/scuc_home.htm

statutes.law.cornell.edu/topics/employment.html, employment law: an overview

straylight.law.cornell.edu/topics/labor.html stu.findlaw.com/journals/labor.html

the-paper-store.com, term papers on labor law.

toolkit.com, job requirements checklist.

topics.law.cornell.edu/wex/employment_discrimination, employment discrimination hr-guide.com, human resources guide.

topix.net/law/employment-labor

totalbusiness.com

traditionallaborlaw.blogspot.com/

twc.state.tx.us/ui/lablaw/cllsum.html, texas child labor law summary.

ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/us/affact.htm, affirmative action and civil rights.

umn.edu/humanrts, human rights library.

usgovinfo. dead website, try dotdash.com/library/weekly/aa080902a.htm, child labor safety law

usworkforce.org, united states department of labor, employment and training administration-workforce investment act information. vault.com/law

virginialaborlaw.com washlaw.edu/doclaw/subject/emply5m.html

weblocator.com/attorney/mn/law/labor.html, minnesota.

weblocator.com/attorney/tx/law/b31.html, texas labor law.

westcairn.com, california, law firm.

workforce.com stevenrubinlaw.com/corporateprofessionals.shtml, labor attorneys.

wrongfuldismissaldatabase.com

yourbestlegalhelp.com yourinsuranceworld.com/potpourri/contractlabor

National Employment Lawyers Association

44 Montgomery Street, #2080

San Francisco, CA 94104

415-296-7629

nela.org

Provides a locator for employment lawyers.

Employee Rights Info

The following information is general. Books about employee rights are at #331.01109 or HD6971 at the library. Go to #344.71-73 or KE3247 and KF345 (labor laws) of the library and the Government Documents section for more specific information.

The main legislation dealing with employment in the United States are:

Age Discrimination Employment Act/ ADEA (involuntary retirement, firing or not hiring people because of advanced age);

Americans with Disabilities Act;

Cash or Deferred Arrangement/ CODA, 401(k).

Civil Rights Act (Title VII, employee discrimination; racial, sex, national origin, religious, smoking; sexual harassment);

Civil Rights Act in general.

COBRA for continuing health coverage after termination;

Electronic Communications Privacy Act;

Employee Retirement Income Security Act/ ERISA (pensions and fringe benefits);

Retirement Equity Act (gives divorced and widowed spouses access to pension benefits);

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission/ EEOC;

Equal Pay Act (sex discrimination);

Fair Labor Standards Act (minimum wage);

Family and Medical Leave Act/ FMLA;

Federal Unemployment Tax Act;

Labor Management Relations Act (the right to organize and form unions);

Occupational Safety and Health Act;

Older Workers Benefit Protection Act/ OWBPA;

Pregnancy Discrimination Act;

Privacy for Consumers and Workers Act (surveilance);

Qualified Domestic Relations Order/ QDRO (relates to divorce and pensions);

Rehabilitation Act (disabled people);

Retirement Equity Act, divorced spouses or widows entitled to spouses pension benefits.

Revenue Reconciliation Act.

Unemployment benefits;

Worker Adjustment Retraining and Notice Act/ WARN (for workers of plants that shut down);

Workers compensation, etc.

The biggest issue these days is job security. A lot of employers get around the laws by hiring disposable workers, usually part-timers, temps or contract workers so that they're not legally bound to provide them with benefits nor job security.

While these options have some advantages for the freelancer not particularly interested in a fulltime career, they nevertheless cut down on the opportunities for good, secure jobs so you have to accept this fact of life as the wave of the future that the days of the one company job where you stay for your entire career at the same place and get a pension are very much in a minority now. Don't count on it.

Look to be flexible and current in the work you do. If you're in a company pension plan, you should get a Summary Plan Description/ SPD which describes all the details. This is the legal document which the company must adhere to otherwise you can sue them.

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act/ ERISA covers company pensions and fringe benefits.

One of the fringe benefits is health insurance which is probably the area with the most problems between employees and management.

Get your employer's paperwork on the health insurance they offer you and refer to ERISA for an explanation of the law if you run into any legal snags. If you have Aids, the laws are even more complex.

The most common problems in the hiring process are that the employee lies on the application which are grounds for termination or not hiring you and the employer misrepresents the terms of employment.

Employers aren't allowed to ask you personal questions not relevant to the job. If they do and you choose not to answer, they probably won't give you the job because they don't like your attitude.

You could sue them but they could always say they found somebody better so your best bet when asked personal questions is to just play along with the guy, act like's a bud and you're having a regular conversation.

As far as the tests employers can give you, it has to be related to the job, a test that predicts your ability to do the job not an unrelated test which they can use to screen out all the people they don't particularly want to work there.

Employers lie to employees promising them a lot of things to work there then not delivering. If it's a direct lie and not just flattery, you can sue them civilly.

Clear up all job details you're not sure about. Get it in writing in your employment contract to keep it all legal and out in the open. Your best bet before you take a job is to read through the employer's rule book and/ or ask relevant questions.

For legal reasons, make sure you understand all the terms of employment before taking a job.

Read your employment contract carefully. If the employer tells you will make an outrageous salary for working for his company like $100,000 in commissions and you don't, it's misrepresentation. If you decide to sue an employer based on misrepresentation, it will be very difficult to prove.

Your employer can check your background and credit history and request that you take psychological tests as part of the application process.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the employer must get your authorization before he checks your credit history out.

If job performance is related to medical health, your employer can make you take a medical exam.

Before you take a job, you should read the employment contract thoroughly to know exactly what you're getting into. If you want changes, get it in writing.

You have many rights in the workplace including your basic civil rights.

You have the right to start a union, to join a union and vote in union elections without management interference.

If an employer misrepresents how much you can/ will earn, you have grounds to sue him.

If you work overtime in most jobs which means over 40 hours a week, you are legally entitled to time and a half except for white collar jobs because they basically earn a high enough salary.

You have constitutional protections from the invasion of privacy into your personal life in matters not relating to work.

A company is allowed to have a reasonable dress code.

Some states have regulations regarding genetic testing at work. There's a federal law that protects federal workers from being tested genetically.

Genetic/ DNA testing is a test an employer might use to see if you have a certain gene that predisposes you to catch certain diseases so that if you catch that certain disease, it can't be blamed on your work and your employer doesn't have to pay you benefits.

The EEOC has already filed several lawsuits against companies who've conducted such tests because they deceived their employees by not telling them they were doing DNA tests on them when they had the company doctor draw their blood and also because genetic predisposition is a very weak science as to what actually causes diseases.

The way you live your life and what you do at work could play a much larger role than genetic predisposition.

If you see an unsafe condition at your workplace, report it to your boss and give him a chance to correct it. If he doesn't, you legally have the right to report him to the local branch of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) without fear of retribution.

The Fair Labor Standards Act 29 U.S.c. regulates minimum wages, contract workers, temporary workers, part-time work, overtime and equitable pay standards for men and women.

If employers want to fire you, they will look for a reason like fraud on your resume.

Employers have the legal right to give tests which measure the qualifications for the job and that's basically it.

Some jobs require medical tests, others don't. If they're used, it's grounds for discrimination if the list to weed out disabled people.

Some companies do genetic testing and if they identify defective genes, genes which predispose you to get a major disease, they either might not hire you or if you're an employee, they will try to deny medical coverage based on that.

The employer has an obligation to tell the employee the truth, the Truth in Hiring Rule.

He can't hire somebody with idle promises and not deliver like the guy who relocated and was let go after six months only to sue and win.

To keep everything clear, get employment details as specific as possible in writing.

Employers are responsible to collect money from the employee's pay cheque for unemployment compensation (Federal Unemployment Tax Act/ FUTA) and Social Security/ FICA.

The most common types of discrimination are racial, place of origin, language, sex, sexual orientation, religion, smoker, pregnancy, age, disabilities, AIDS/ HIV.

You have privacy rights. Even though the Drug-Free Workplace Act encourages companies with federal government contracts to keep drugs out of the workplace, you're generally not allowed to be tested unless the job has some element of safety hazards in it like people who operate transportation vehicles (planes, trains, ships, trucks, etc.) as covered by the Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act.

The Employee Polygraph Protection Act renders the lie detector virtually useless in the workplace. It is generally allowed only in criminal investigations.

Books about employee rights are at #331.011 or HD6971 at the library.

California Labor Law

answers.google.com, california state employment law

askemploymentlaw.org.uk

bamlawca.com, employment lawyers, san diego ( 858) 367-9913 and san calaborlaw.com, california labor and employment law

calchamber.com/california-employment-law/pages/california-employment-law.aspx, california employment law

californialaborlaw.info

callaborlaw.com, california labor and employment law blog

dir.ca.gov/dlse/dlselaws.html, research the labor code - california

employment-law.freeadvice.com

en.allexperts.com/q/employment-law-924/2010/3/overpayment-wages-4.htm, employment law/ overpayment of wages

francisco (415) 935-3957 gotovertime.com, california overtime law labor.ca.gov/laborlawreg.htm, labor laws and regulations - california

laboremploymentlawblog.com

laborlawtalk.com

lemon-co.co.uk/overpayments.htm, the employment rights act 1996 provides that it will not be an illegal deduction from wages to recover an overpayment from salary. payroll-help.com

resources.lawinfo.com/en/legal-faqs/wage-and-hours/california/what-are-the-rules-on-final-paychecks-in-cali.html

Working Conditions/ Worker Rights

europarl.europa.eu/comparl/libe/elsj/charter/ar t 31/default_en.htm, fair and just working conditions - ch arter of fundamental rights

edd.ca.gov/uibdg/suitable_work_sw_440.htm, working conditions.

online.onetcenter.org/explore/workvalues/working_ conditions/

nvti.cudenver.edu/tapfacilitator/resources/pdfs/work_related_values_chart.pdf

diversityworking.com

secbd.org

ymca.ac.uk/housing/workers_in_the_homeless _sector.pdf

vtlmi.info/wageincome.cfm dol.gov/dol/oasam/crchome.htm, the civil rights center of the us department of labor aboutwork.com

careerlab.com

cftech.com/brainbank/businesslaw

dol.gov. dol.gov/pwba, pension and welfare benefits administration.

dol.gov/dol/esa/public/owcp.org.htm, worker's compensation. dol.gov/dol/esa/public/whdorg.htm, wage and hour division.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/right_to_work

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/right-to-work_law

freeerisa.com.

osha.gov, occupational safety and health.

shrm.org

wageweb.com

workfamily.com

workforceonline.com/legaltip

workindex.com

Business and Legal Reports, Inc.

141 Rock Rd. E.

Old Saybrook, Ct 06475

800-727-5257

blr.com

Books about legal issues at work like family and medical leave compliancy.

Family and Work Institute

330 7th Ave.

14th Fl.

Nyc 10001

212-465-2044

familiesandworkinst.org

familiesandwork.org

National Adoption Center

1500 Walnut

#701

Philadelphia, Pa 19102

800-To-Adopt

215-735-9988

Fax: 215-735-9410

adopt.org Free booklet, The Employer's Guide To Adoption.

Minimum Wage Websites

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/minimum_wage, minimum wage; facts at a glance.

dol.gov/whd/flsa, minimum wage.

dol.gov/esa/minwa ge/america.htm, minimum wage in the states.

Child Labor Laws

historyplace.com/unitedstates/childlabor, child labor in america; the history place.

dol.gov/compliance/guide/childlbr.htm, child labor laws.

Chapter 2. Privacy Issues at Work

Privacy Issues at Work

The most basic privacy issue at work is both personal information and company info rmation. Generally, the employer h as no right to pass employee records around to anyone who doesn't need them in a work-related capacity nor does he have the right to snoop around in areas not related to the job which raises the question to what extent can an employer go to pre-screen employees before hiring them.

By the same token, the employee has no business talking about company business to anyone not directly involved in the business.

The U.S. Constitution grants us certain rights like freedom of expression, limits on searches and questioning people suspected of crimes.

You have constitutional protections from the invasion of privacy into your personal life in matters not relating to work but your personal rights are compromised when you enter the work arena.

When you take on a job, you're implicitly giving some of your freedom and privacy away to your employer but the question is how much. Whatever they do to compromise your privacy and freedom must be relevant to the job in order to be legal.

The line between an employer's right to know what an employee does outside the job and the employee's privacy is a muddled area from a legal and common sense point of view.

For legal purposes to protect himself, the employer should set out what he plans to do if it will possibly violate a person's privacy such as monitor telephone calls and e-mails, plans to put surveillance cameras up or demand urine testing for drugs.

The actions must be work-related. They must have a reasonable intent to them. For example, if you plan to put a surveillance camera up on the floor, you say it's to record accidents if and when they happen and to deter theft.

If you plan to monitor internet usage, you say you won't tolerate employees not doing work on work time and instead fooling around on the net.

If you plan to do things that will compromise privacy, tell your employees before you do them in writing so they know. Be honest with them. Give them the reasons why you're invading their privacy. Tell them straight up that they have no reasonable expectation of privacy on company time.

You should have consent forms or at least acknowledgement forms which the employees and independent contractors sign. This way they know if there is some kind of surveillance on them. This is called openness, telling your employees what kind of surveillance measures you're using.

Tell them you won't be using the information other than for work-related matters. You will not report what websites they surfed to their spouses or make it public knowledge.

If you're a big company, get one of your human resources people to become the workplace privacy expert and develop a privacy compliance program which will spell out what surveillance actions the company will use and specify what will be done with the information after it is collected.

Even if you're collecting employee information such as monitoring his or her e-mail and fax usage, you are still obligated to protect the person's privacy by not letting anyone see this information except for maybe the project privacy manager (PPM) and a relevant manager or two.

Get your lawyers to look over your plans. Ask them what the privacy at work laws are in your area.

The basic issues regarding privacy in the workplace are as follows:

Employee Pre-Screening before hiring.

Interview questions.

Surveillance, both visual and electronic.

Drug and alcohol testing.

Third party information, asking others about the employee.

Searching employee locker rooms, vehicles, pockets, clothing, kitbags, etc.

Off-duty life of the employee.

Who has access to employee records.

Medical information obtained by employers not related to the immediate situation. For example, some employers have been requiring employees to give a DNA sample which is then tested to determine genetic predisposition to major diseases and if the employee is found to have a high genetic predisposition, the company quietly tries to get rid of him.

Some companies have been accused of doing this without telling the employees this is what they were doing. They were told the DNA sample was just routine, to run conventional medical tests.

By being personal and personable, the employer may think he cares about the employee, wants to relate and help out but my attitude is if the individual does adequate work, butt out unless they come to you with a problem or concern. Don't be too personal. It's work.

If a normally good employee seems shaky lately, back off. Mind your own business. Everybody goes through crises. Give them a month or so and if they're still looking weak, ask them what's going on.

There are very few federal laws regarding employment privacy. Such laws, if they exist, are at the state and local level.

The general rule of thumb is that whatever an employer does that could be an invasion of employee privacy must have a legitimaste, business-related reason.

If workers are stealing from you, put surveillance cameras up near the door but don't put them in the bathroom.

Employees file lawsuits against employers for invasions of privacy so think before you do anything that might go beyond your legitimate need to know for business reasons.

Don't give out information on employees to outside organizations unless it's directly related to business.

One of the most sensitive areas of privacy is in the area of interviewing candidates for a new job. Keep your questions on the job not about the personal life of the individual.

If you work in an area where there's lot of money, the boss can legally take measures to protect himself like check your background out and install cameras there but if you work in a slaughter house, the boss has no justifiable need for these invasions of your privacy.

The Labor Management Relations Act covers privacy issues. You have to go the collective bargaining agreement between management and the unions where you work.

The Federal Employee Polygraph Protection Act forbids the use of polygraph/ lie detector tests for pre-employment screening.

Employers can request that you take a polygraph if you're suspected of a crime or in the interests of security only. Polygraph testing law in the workplace differs for every state, totally illegal in some.

Genetic testing is another area that's protected by many state laws. A potential employer is not allowed to subject you to genetic testing in the course of a medical examination which may reveal certain dispositions such as sickle cell anemia or cancer susceptibility.

Employers are allowed to use video surveillance in the workplace. Some unions demand to be informed of hidden camera surveillance.

The Federal Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act regulates wiretapping and eavesdropping making it illegal in all situations except if the employee is told in advance that he may be monitored in some situation such as on the phone, e-mail, etc.

If the communication is personal, the eavesdropper is supposed to cease listening and only attend to business-oriented correspondence.

Searches are only allowed if there's a good reason such as recent thefts.

If you work in certain states or for the federal government under union contract, you have the right to see your personnel files. In some states and companies, you don't have that right unless you're involved in a lawsuit with your employer.

Get spyware for your computers like spectorsoft.com. Tell them you can monitor everything they do on the computer.

Tell them their phone calls are being monitored. You have the legal right to do this to your phones on company time.

Try #331.011 or JC596.2 at the library.

csa.ca, canadian standards assn.

eff.org, electronic frontier foundation.

oecd.org, guidelines on the protection of privacy and transborder flows of personal data.

privcom.gc.ca, privacy commissioner of canada.

tbs-sct.gc.ca/index_e, treasury board of canada's privacy impact assessment policy.

Privacy Resources in General

Books about privacy are at #323.4 or JC596 and KF1262 at the library.

cioinsight.com

cnbcbigbrother.com

comput er.howstuffworks.com/workplace-surveillance.htm

consumer.gov/idtheft

cpsr.org/cpsr/privacy/

databasenation.com

digitalpersona.com, products.

eff.org, the electronic frontier foundation epic.org/privacy, the electronic privacy information center epistolary.org/rob/bonuscard, supermarket cards.

epic.org/privacy/publicrecords/

escapeartist.com

escapeartist.com/efam/45/disappearing

fas.org/irp/program/collect/stargate, satellite surveilance.

freedomhq.com

ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/credempl

ftc.gov/os/statutes/2summary

ftc.gov/privacy

fuld.com/i3/index.html, internet intelligence index, links to how to spy electronically on companies, etc.

howtheychangeyourmind.com

howtobeinvisible.com

jeffwolfe.com

libraryprivacy.org, the fbi has rights to look at library records.

lompanics.com

nocards.org, supermarket loyalty cards.

nocards.privacyinternational.org, info on loyalty cards, etc.

paladinpress.com

privacy.net

privacy.ninemsn.com.au

privacy.org

privacyalert.us

privacyfoundation.org

privacyinternational.org

privacyrights.org

privlaw.com, canada.

protest.net

publiccitizen.org

quietbuy.com, a service where you can buy something controversial and these middlemen will do the deal so there is no paper trail. Most common for buying porn, weapons, left-wing books, etc.

reconex.com, phonecards, phone service without a detailed credit check.

refuseandresist.org

securityedition.com

simson.net

smartmobs.com

spychips.com

turbulence.org

uscourts.gov/wiretap98

verizon.com, click on products and services then on calling features then on identify your callers for a security feature beyond caller id.

we-swipe.us

whitedot.org/spyinteractive/faqs, spy tv.

zks.net, zero knowledge systems.

American Civil Liberties Union

132 West 43rd Street

NYC 10036-6599

aclu.org

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse

3100 5th Avenue

San Diego, Ca 92103

(619) 298-3396

Fax: (619) 298-5681

prc@privacyrights.org

privacyrights.org

Privacy Law Websites/ Work Privacy Websites

worldprivacyforum.org/workplace.html, world privacy forum: workplace privacy project

scottandsco ttllp.com, privacy policy lawyer.

hg.org/privacy.html

privacytimes.com

epic.org/privacy/consumer/states.html, privacy laws.

law.com, state privacy laws

Chapter 3. Harassment/ Discrimination

Job Harassment Info

In general terms, harassment in the workplace is any action, object or comment th at at least one person finds offensive or harmful or that a group of people in the community would view as in bad taste, unwelcome or offensive.

Harassment causes the victim (harassed person) to feel bullied, humiliated, embarassed, discriminated against, intimidated or threatened.

There are civil liberties laws in place to protect individuals from harassment on the grounds of race, nationality, ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, disability and former criminal convictions.

Depending on the specifics of the situation, harassment could be a criminal offense, civil offense or both. In the workplace, it's mostly a civil offense, punishable with fines and punitive damages in a civil lawsuit.

To me, harassment is not the grey area pundits purport it to be. In any situation, people are either positive, negative or neutral and there is no great chasm of ambiguity between these actions or vibes if you will.

We have all spent all our lives judging people's attitudes to us. It's always an inner dialogue of "Is this person a friend or foe" so we're all experts at judging people's motives towards us whether we realize it or not and in my opinion, our intuitive faculties are rarely wrong.

We simply know when someone is trying to embarrass or belittle us for some ego problem they have. It's black and white, crystal clear.

You can sense a true friend, a disinterested workmate who doesn't care about you much either way and someone who is going out of their way to do rude things to you.

Anything negative that takes on a personal tone geared to make you feel bad is harassment such as:

rude behavior

degrading or offensive comments

threats, intimidation, talk of revenge

criticism of the person not the work

teasing about inappropriate things such as a disability

put-downs and insults

displaying sexist, racist or other offensive pictures, cartoons or slogans both physically and electronically

repeatedly singling out one person to do the dirty work that is not normally part of his job description

purposely excluding an employee from the group dynamic

libel/ slander, telling damaging lies about someone

unwanted flirting, sexual suggestions

unwanted sexual advances or even light touching such as pinching, a slap on the butt, etc.

The way to deal with harassment is the same as the proper, official way to deal with conflicts. Don't take sides. Try to be objective. Separate the two.

Act sympathetic towards each so they will each spill their guts out to you and from that, make your decision as to what is the objective truth of the matter.

If you determine one guy is the instigator, as I say in my article on conflict resolution, why bother with people like this. They have negative personalities. Get rid of them. Have a zero tolerance policy.

Just like they encourage people to report bullying behavior at grade school, so too, do it here. Tell them it's not squealing, it's doing the right thing. Read the next few paragraphs from my bullying article.

"Bullying is often done by people who feel less than good and whole about themselves therefore they're frustrated about their lives so in order to bring themselves up a notch, they'll often pick on weaker people and this makes them feel better in the moment while making someone else feel bad which they're either insensitive to or relish in, to see others suffer.

Bullies are not like passive aggressive people who disguise their anger. Bullies are out in the open, in your face with pushy, demeaning and abrasive behavior. Bullies take a toll on everybody around them.

Bullying/ violence is often done as an unconscious process, they don't exactly know why they're doing it. Many bullies don't think, on the surface, that they're insecure people with inferiority complexes.

They've displaced who they are objectively with a new persona kind of like a weak kid who takes on a superhero persona, it's a coping mechanism, only in this case, they take on the role of the big, bad bully. It gives them some control in their lives.

For some, the reasons may not be this profound. There are a lot of miserable, angry, evil people out there who enjoy seeing others suffer and enjoy inflicting the pain to make them suffer. It makes them feel powerful and good.

Some bullies are hopelessly incorrigible people who will never be cured. It could have its roots in reactive attachment disorder, that between just after they were born to about the age of two years old, they didn't get the normal love a baby should get so they were irreparably damaged to not feel for other people and even get pleasure out of hurting others, especially if they were abused as kids."

When dealing with harassment situations in the workplace, try to be clear, talk to the players and listen to them in an attempt to get to the bottom of the situation.

Encourage tolerance, in the workplace, that people act towards others in a respectful and professional manner.

Have a workplace policy in place that orders people to report harassment/ bullying.

Educate everyone about harassment as a serious offence. Define harassment for them.

Try to identify negative people and stop them before they escalate their negativity.

When someone complains about harassment, deal with it immediately.

If you feel you are being harassed, say in a formal, businesslike way, "Your behaviour is not acceptable, stop immediately or bear the consequences of a harassment charge."

If he says nothing but gives you a sarcastic look, walk away. This may be enough for him to know that you're no pushover. If he does it again, report him immediately.

In any event, from then on, ignore him. If you must deal with him, make it prompt, terse, businesslike with very short two word answers.

Keep a journal of all harassment incidents. Document the place, time and who else was present.

In proving harassment in a court of law, it's not just about the negative character of the incidents, it's about the frequency and establishing a pattern of harassment over time.

If the harassment is very blatant and often, don't be above installing a hidden camera. It's not that hard as long as you hide the red flickering light on your camcorder with a piece of tape.

Simply let the camcorder run all day in its secret location plugged in as opposed to battery power which will run out. Six hour tapes are common.

aauw.org, 800-326-aauw, american assn. of university women educational foundation, info about sexual harassment, etc.

aclu.org, american civil liberties union.

bullying.org

feminist.org/911/harass

hhs.gov, health and human services.

lfcc.on.ca/bully.htm

ncpc.org/eduleo5.htm, national crime prevention council.

tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/hrpubs, human resources

tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/hrpubs/hw-hmt/hara_e, harassment.

tolerance.org

worldculture.com

eeoc.gov/types/religion.html, religious discrimination.

Sex Discrimination Info

Sex discrimination used to be something like the old boy's club not giving high-level jobs to women or the local fir e department not hiring women.

Nowadays you got some men against affirmative action saying they're more qualified but a woman gets the job.

Gay people are crying sex discrimination too.

Books about sex discrimination are at #342.7108 or KE4399 and KF4488 to KF4758 at the library.

equalrights.org/publications/kyr/sexdiscrim.asp

enotes.com/everyday-law-encyclopedia/sexual-discrimination-and-orientation

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/sex_discrimination_act_1975, britain.

hrlawindex.com

employmentlawgroup.net/cm/discriminationlaws/discriminationlaws4.asp, washington dc civil rights attorney.

equalrights.org/professional/sexdiscrim/info.asp

getcited.org/pub/102451148, sex discrimination in employment; women; equal pay for equal work.

carmitch.com/discrimination.html, georgia employment and labor law firm.

theglassceiling.com

opm.gov/er/address2/guide01.htm

findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3693/is_200211/ai_n9126097

equalityvirginia.org ed.gov/policy/rights/guid/ocr/sex.html healthresources.caremark.com/topic/sexdiscrim

hrlawindex.com

mc3.edu/sa/lib/guides/equalrig.pdf#search='sexresourcesunitedstates'

ncfm.org, national coalition to free men, anti-sex discrimination.

Working Women's Institute

593 Park Ave.

NYC 10021

212-838-4420

They conduct workshops dealing with sexual harassment and its prevention and they offer support to victims of sexual harassment and discrimination.

Sexual Harassment in General

Sexual harassment law has its roots in the US Civil Rights Act of 1964. In the 1970s, some women started compl aining that harassment in the workplace against them was discriminatory.

In 1980, the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) issued guidelines about sexual harassment saying that conduct of a sexual nature be it verbal or physical is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when it interferes with a woman's ability to do her job in a safe, comfortable environment.

Conduct of a sexual nature is offensive when it affects employment decisions (hiring, raises, firing), interferes with the ability of a woman to do her work or creates a hostile, intimidating work environment. Try to like your boss or get along with him but if he crosses that invisible line of disrespect because you're a woman or because he doesn't like you, you have a right to air your grievances to his superiors, your union support agencies, the EEOC or an employment lawyer.

If your boss doesn't treat you with proper respect with the same opportunity for upward mobility as everybody else, he's not playing fair.

Get help to remedy the situation. By the same token, if he's too friendly, try to keep a professional distance because he may be in violation of company policy and you don't want to be dragged down with his improprieties. If you play his game, flirt with him and fall for his charms, you're asking for it.

Sexual harassment is a one-way street, unwanted sexual attention directed at you with no prodding on your part. If you play along, it's not sexual harassment anymore, it's having fun and if you enjoy the attention, a few witnesses in court will destroy your case should you ever file suit.

The EEOC definition is that sexual harassment is any unwelcome sexual conduct that occurs in the workplace or school. There are two types:

Harassment that creates an unpleasant environment such as sexist jokes, talk about sex, inappropriate touching, leering, pornographic materials in public view or anything else that can be proved to create a hostile work environment.

Quid pro quo harassment which is the practice of offering employment or advancement in exchange for sex or sexual favors.

Some psychobabblist says that the reason there's sexual harassment in the workplace is that men misinterpret a woman's friendliness for sexual interest, think they can score some sex with her (even if she's married) so they set about acting seductive all the while the girl is not thinking sex at all.

She just thought she was being friendly while the guy thought she was coming on to him. Beware of these different ways men and women perceive the same event. Women think they're just being friendly, men think they're coming on to them.

Even if the woman is possibly interested in the guy, she's checking him out as an emotional partner not for a quick roll in the photocopy room so the best bet for men is to back off.

Don't read things into your co-workers' behavior. Play it straight with them. Wait until she makes a move that leaves no doubt in your mind.

Ask a co-worker out once. If she says no, don't ever ask her again. One time is fine but any more is considered sexual harassment.

Studies have shown that women are hypocrites when it comes to sexual harassment. When attractive, high status guys come on to them repeatedly at work, they like it but if the low status, fat, chubby guy asks her out a few times and tells her how beautiful she is, that's harassment in her eyes.

Sexual harassment refers to everyone's right to work in an atmosphere that's not hostile to them based on gender. Sexual harassment, legally defined, breaks down into two categories:

Quid Pro Quo, literary translated from Latin means "something given or received for something else." This is basically when the boss wants sexual favors for either giving you the job, promotion, etc. and/ or for not firing or demoting you.

Hostile Environment is when the guys talk dirty to you, hang sexual pictures up on the bulletin board, talk sex talk amongst each other in your presence, etc.

Supervisors can help prevent sexual harassment by setting a good example and keeping a productive work area. If a report of harassment occurs in your work area, assist in the investigation and resolution ofthe complaint.

If you're a victim of SH, report the incident to your immediate supervisor. If your immediate supervisor is the perpetrator, discuss the incident with his boss or with someone in the human resources department.

Try to like your boss or get along with him but if he crosses that invisible line of disrespect because you're a woman or because he doesn't like you, you have a right to air your grievances to his superiors, your union support agencies, the EEOC or an employment lawyer.

If your boss doesn't treat you with proper respect with the same opportunity for upward mobility as everybody else, he's not playing fair.

Sexual harassment is a one-way street. If you play along, it's not sexual harassment anymore, it's having fun and if you enjoy the attention, a few witnesses in court will destroy your case should you ever file suit.

Sexual harassment can be a tough, subjective call because one person may just be politely flirting while another sees it as intimidation, especially if comes from the boss.

Men and women both can be victims of sexual harassment and it can occur from a same sex person. If you feel that you have been the victim of sexual harassment, you could call the EEOC for an evaluation.

The basic standard is to be civil to co-workers in a polite, non-sexist, professional manner. Never touch anyone except for a professional handshake. Don't pat anybody on the butt even if playfully.

Don't look or leer at bodyparts. Look people straight in the eye, nowhere else. Don't ever say anything sexual, even a sexual joke. Better to keep your mouth shut than bother with it.

Keep conversation to business, the weather and their small talk, what they want to talk about. Never initiate personal discussions. Sexual harassment comes down to comfort level which means it's subjective which means almost anything can be sexual harassment so don't encourage anything sexual or sexist.

Don't ask anybody out unless you can live with the rejection and handle it in a business kind of way without retaliating by being a sexist jerk. Never compliment a female for anything about her appearance.

If a female looks uncomfortable, ask her if you're stepping over the line. In the end, take sexual harassment very seriously because there are too many lawyers out there ready to sue for the flimsiest reason.

Their standards are that if an incident is particularly serious and traumatic such as an outright proposal or physical touching, it could be enough for a lawsuit, however, beyond that, they must assess the general atmosphere of the workplace and determine whether you, the alleged victim, are a sometime contributor to a freewheeling, casual atmosphere in the office. Since sexual harassment is hard to prove, you should tread lightly until you get witnesses and/ or hidden audio and video evidence.

Just like there's sexual harassment by men on women so too is there sexual harassment by women on men. Don't use your position to try to get younger males to go out with you or sleep with you. Cases like this have been prosecuted. It works both ways.

Keep business and personal life separate especially now that you're in a position of authority unless you're absolutely sure it's true unconditional love.

Sexual harassment is generally a civil matter. The way it becomes criminal is through the general criminal charge of harassment. Some places have passed anti-stalking legislation which constitutes harassment.

Harassment is generally defined as fear. If you bother somebody more than twice asking them out on a date or something like that and they say no, the third time is generally grounds for arrest because the girl can say she's afraid of you.

Flirting and Sexual Harassment

Flirting is fine if you find someone who likes to play along but it may be just for the sake of socializing as some people like to talk to other people even if they don't know them much just for the sake of talking and it also could be an ego thing.

If somebody gives you or anybody else an ego stroke, it's amazing how many people are suckers for a compliment. Give the right person a few compliments and they will immediately like you and want to talk in order to get more compliments to boost them up a bit.

Flirting could be nothing. Some people do it by nature to keep them from getting nervous or taking control of a situation. Good sales people and real estate agents are natural flirts. It's part of the business to butter a client up.

The golden rule is don't read anything into flirting unless you're really, really sure they like you and it's not just a part of their job. Every waiter/ waitress and every stripper who work at a place where lots of tips are given are master flirters. They flirt with everyone because they want big tips, not necessarily because they think you're special although if they're good, they can make you think that they think you're special.

Watch any good stripper. She's befriending ten guys a night, trying to make them all think that she has a special relationship with them.

If taken too far, flirting can get you in trouble. At work, you can be charged with a sexual-harassment complaint. On the street, you could be charged with lewd and lascivious behavior or even sexual assault.

Everybody intuitively knows the basic ground rules of polite society. Follow them. You can talk to anyone you want about anything. Just don't don't talk about sex or crude things. Keep it nice and g-rated. If the person likes you, they will let you know simply by continuing to talk to you. If they respond to every statement you make, that's conversation.

They probably want to talk to you. If you can keep a conversation going with a total stranger for 2-3 minutes for no reason other than to socialize, that should be enough rapport to ask for a date without getting hit over the head.

After all, they are complicit in the act by choosing to talk to you but remember that some people just talk for the sake of talking. I'm like this sometimes. I talk to total strangers sometimes who want to talk. It fulfills some need we have to connect to others here and there just for the simple reason of sharing our loner realities in our heads for awhile.

If in doubt, don't flirt.

The better looking you are, the more likely that people will like to flirt with you. There was the case of one woman who filed a sexual harassment suit against a guy. During the trial, it came out that she routinely flirted with the good looking guys on staff and made sexually explicit comments on par with them.

The guy she filed the suit on was a middle-aged, chubby, ugly guy. She lost the case because her sexual harassment charge was selective. She picked one guy that she targeted when the truth was that she engaged in the same conduct with several other guys.

msnbc.msn.com/id/11258390, not crossing the harassment line.

overlawyered.com/topics/harass.html

overlawyered.com/fear_of_flirting/

wgby.org/edu/flirt/fhmain.html, sexual harassment in schools.

Sexual Harassment Websites

Books about sexual harassment are at #305.42, #331.409 or HD6099 and HQ1237.5 at the library.

adr.org/rules/empl oyment/sexual_harassment_claim_resolution

amacombooks.com, book what every manager needs to know about sexual harassment.

amcity.com/albany/stories/1999/08/16/focus4

apa.org/monitor/oct99/cf9, sexual harassment in school.

cfif.org/htdocs/freedomline/current/guest_commentary/sexual_harassment_law.html

cs.utk.edu/~bartley/other/9to5.html

ed.gov/offices/ocr/ocrshpam, sexual harassment in school.

ed.gov/pubs/harassment, 800-usa-learn

ed.gov/pubs/harassment/climate1.html, 800-usa-learn

eeoc.gov, u.s.equal employment opportunity commission.

elronsoftware.com

employment-law.freeadvice.com/sexual_harassment

employment-law.freeadvice.com/sexual_harassment/dress_harassment.htm

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/sexual_harassment aauw.org, 800-326-aauw, american assn. of university women educational foundation. info about sexual harassment, etc.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/street_harassment

eoc.org.uk, equal opportunities commission.

feminist.org/911/harass

gutierrez-preciado.com/memos/romance

hrlawindex.com

igc.apc.org/women/activist/harass.html, activist paper on harassment.

inform.umd.edu/edres/topic/womensstudies/genderissues/sexualharassment

jobfunctions.bnet.com/whitepaper.aspx?scname=harassment&docid=48441

law. dead website, try dotdash.com/cs/sexualharassment law. dead website, try dotdash.com/cs/sexualharassment law.ucla.edu/volokh/harass, legal expert documents how harassment law (sexual harassment and beyond) violates the first amendment.

law.mak.ac.ug/sexharpol.doc, sexual harrassment policy and guidelines.

law.wayne.edu/faculty/fac_web/browne/documents/articles/sex power&dominance_browne.pdf, psychology of sexual harassment.

law-gender-sexuality.ac.ug/?jc=inhouse_publications, full text publications.

library.uncg.edu/depts/docs/us/harass.html

now.org/issues/harass/030206aauwreport.html

resources.org

sexualharass.com

sexualharassmentclass.com all-biz.com/articles/dating

sexualharassmenttraining.biz, online sexual harassment classes harassmap.org

sexual-harassment-training.ffind.eu.com

shrm.org/hrmagazine/search.html, type in sexual harassment.

tolerance.org

toolkit.cch.com

umich.edu/~eqtynet

usdoj.gov/crt/emp/documents/belencd.htm, belen consent decree.

watchtower.org/library/g/1996/5/22/sexual_harassment_global.htm

wgby.org/edu/flirt/fhmain.html, sexual harassment in schools.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

800-669-4000

800-800-3302 Tty

eeoc.gov

Eeoc Information Line

800-669-3362

eeoc.gov

National Assn. of Working Women

1430 W. Peachtree St.

#610

Atlanta, Ga 30309

404-876-1604

Fax: 404-876-1649

800-522-0925

hotline9to5@igc.org

9to5.org

Generally an advocacy group for women but helps men too in such work areas as sexual harassment, maternity leave or any job problems in general. Annual membership fee entitles you to their database of information.

Working Women's Institute

593 Park Ave.

NYC 10021

212-838-4420

They conduct workshops dealing with sexual harassment and its prevention and they offer support to victims of sexual harassment and discrimination.

Canadian Sexual Harassment Info

Books about sexual harassment are at #305.42, #331.409 or HD6099 and HQ1237.5 at the library.

In Canada, re fer to the provincial or federal human rights commission.

chrf.ca, human rights.

chrc-ccdp.gc.ca, human rights.

chrc.ca, human rights.

chrc-tcdp.gc.ca, human rights tribunal.

hri.ca

owjn.org/issues/s-harass/guide.htm, sexual harassment, toronto.

sexualharassmentuniversity.siteblast.com, guide to sexual harassment in academia; information on dealing with sexual harassment in canada with particular focus in a university setting.

Sexual Harassment in Schools

ed.gov/offices/OCR/archives/Harassment/index.html

ed.gov, u.s. department of education, office of civil rights (ocr), how to file a discrimination or harassment complaint

ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/sexhar01.html, sexual harassment guidance: harassment of students by school employees, other students or third parties

ed.gov, report on sexual harassment/ abuse of students by educators.

aahperd.org, national association for sport and physical education: sexual harassment in athletic settings

aauw.org, look for articles.

aauw.org/learn/research/upload/completeguide.pdf, harassment-free hallways: how to stop harassment in the schools

aauw.org/learn/research/upload/hostilehallways.pdf

nwlc.org, national women's law center, do the right thing: understanding, addressing and preventing sexual harassment in school

sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/equity/title_ix/studentsfromsexualharassment.pdf, how to protect students from sexual harassment: a primer for schools

sesamenet.org, sesame (stop educator sexual abuse, misconduct and exploitation)

thompson.com/public/offerpage.jsp?prod= SINK, educator's guide to controlling sexual harassment tolerance.org/activity/sexual -misconduct-effective-policies-and-practices, sexual misconduct: effective policies and practices

Chapter 4. Conflicts in Love, Life and Business

Minimize Conflict

Avoid foolish and senseless controversies, knowing that they breed quarrels . And the servant of the Lord must not be quar relsome, but must be gentle to all men, an apt teacher, patient, gently instructing his opponents.

2 Timothy 2:23-25

Do unto others as you would want them to do to you.

The Golden Rule

When a conflict arises, make the real problem you even if it isn't. Ask yourself if you're being a jerk. The best thing to usually do is to shut up. Be over it. It catches the other guy off-guard. He doesn't know what to do. He wants to fight but you deprive him of it.

I'm not a fan or non-fan of the Dalai Lama of Buddhist fame but I was watching him being interviewed and he amitted that he is not always calm. He said when he gets angry, he leaves the situation in his mind. He tries to shut off the anger by clicking it off in his mind.

Time away even in your mind works. Hold your tongue for that one minute to avoid saying something unforgiveable. Don't send an email angry. You can write it then look at it an hour later and you'll probably delete it.

There was a news story on TV about a bunch of people quitting work by posting some hateful, negative rant on the internet. I'll bet they all regret what they did. Never burn bridges. Keep your mouth shut. Quit gracefully or quit silently. Just don't say anything.

When I was young and insecure which I define as trying to find my way in the world, I argued with anyone who started a fight with me. Nowadays I don't. I have my true identity, I don't have to prove anything to anybody, I don't care what other people think of me so I don't argue because I know the outcome will always be that he thinks he's right, I think I'm right and we both think the other is an asshole. Why bother?

If the boss tells you to do something and you think you have a better way, say it once then after he rejects it, don't mention it again.

If someone is a jerk, you don't have to argue. Just say you're a jerk because of this, this and this then shut up and don't say it again. If he keeps hollering while you say it, write it in a letter, put it in an envelope then don't give it to him personally. He might tear it up. Just put it on his desk or in the mailbox so somebody else gives it him.

When you're peaceful and remain so when confronted, you deprive people of the fight. They wanted to fight. They hate that but you win by not fighting back. If they go physical on you, that's different. You have to fight back but words and hollering are nothing that can hurt you.

If you're the boss, you always win. If a subordinate argues with you, that's insubordination, one strike. Three strikes and they're fired.

If you're the subordinate, state your idea once. When the boss rejects it, it's over.

If you are living a good life, you feel relaxed, you have nothing to prove to anyone nor do you feel a need to fight or upstage anyone should a situation develop. To this end, before you ever get into hostile situations, do some of the following things in order to feel good about your life and be calm when things happen:

Know yourself. Discover what your true identity is away from cultural conditioning.

Try to live a relaxed lifestyle. Identify stress in your life and minimize it.

Analyze all the negative thoughts and feelings you have. Try to understand them then get rid of them.

Be a positive, upbeat person.

Don't live under any delusions. Be real.

Be on good terms with the people around you. Try to culture allies and friends.

Try to love life and a few people around you.

Try to live a healthy lifestyle.

Be inspired about something in life.

Whenever you're in a hostile conflict, try the following steps:

The key is to give a little bit and compromise.

Try not to start off with a negative attitude. Don't go in half-cocked looking for a fight or to unload on someone.

You can't beat around the bush. People can't read minds. You have to approach the other person and state directly that we have an issue we should try to resolve together. Try to be cooperative.

Identify/ define exactly what the problem is without criticizing a person.

Try to resolve it being curious and friendly rather than oppositional. Just say we've got an issue we should try to solve.

Don't bring the police or a lawyer into it unless personal, face-to-face measures fail.

Slow down for a second.

Keep your mouth shut while you analyze the situation.

Identity exactly what emotions you're feeling. What is angering you?

Try to listen to the other side and empathize. Put yourself in their position.

When you speak, try to be non-confrontational. Make it such that you're just trying to solve the problem.

Try to cooperate, to make it a win-win situation.

Be assertive if you feel you must.

Back off if the whole thing is not really a big deal to you.

Try to build bridges rather than destroy them.

Books about conflict management are at #303.69, #658.4 or HD42 and HM1126 at the library.

Conflict Info

Any fool can start arguments; the honorable thing is to stay out of them.

Proverbs 20:3

Don't make friends with people who ha ve hot, violent tempers

Proverbs 22:24

Most conflicts in relationships never get solved. In failing relationships, they merely add fuel to the fire. In successful marriages, they are, for lack of a better term, managed. Each side knows what to do to deal with them, usually to ignore the small things (the warts) and love their partner despite them.

Don't try to fix the unfixable. Don't try to change your partner. Don't try to solve every conflict. Accept some as is and learn to live with them like him with his smelly feet and her with her perpetual tardiness. If you really love him or her, you would accept it and move on rather than pouting on in a state of angry stalemate.

My preference in love is a quiet, nice girl someone like me, a quiet guy who doesn't like to argue about anything simply because I don't give a damn about too much anyway except to live a full life everyday and all trivial things are meaningless to me so firstly, I'd pick the right girl upgfront, a quiet, spiritual one who wouldn't want to argue with me just like I wouldn't want to argue with her and secondly, I rarely argue with anyone because my philosophy is that life is too short, live in a flow, don't let negative vibes from anywhere get in no matter what.

If you have a beef, don't go charging in half-cocked. Bring it up smoothly, gently, gracefully, tactfully. Wait awhile. Let it fume inside to see how trivial it really is in the grand scheme of things.

From the opposite point of view, if your spouse comes onto you with a conflict like you don't pay attention to her, your immediate response is often defensive saying "Yes I am, I'm always here" even if you're emotionally not. Instead of the usual defensive stance, stop and say "OK baby, maybe I'm not always here but I'm busy, I got problems, I gotta earn a living" and from there talk about it.

The simplest rule about life is you get back the vibes you put out: positive begets positive; negative begets negative. When you put out a positive vibe in response to a conflict, you get a positive response back.

De-escalate serious things with humor. Stay calm. In the middle of an argument, slow down, take a break, leave, get a drink, wash your face, walk around the block, anything to diffuse the tension.

Learn to compromise and accept your partner with their warts or leave. If you have to fight, do it fairly in a rational manner. Be less critical and more considerate. Think about what you're gonna say before you say it.

The way to diffuse conflicts is to all of a sudden get gentle instead of angry and either forget about it or talk it through quietly with calm and logic.

Never criticize, blame, complain, control or get defensive. Use compliments instead and you will marvel at how much a little bit of love brings back to you. Saying hurtful things are usually a subconscious way to get back at your lover for past injury.

The way to stop anyone cold is to detach from your ego, act like you don't give a damn about holding your own, getting the better of this person or letting them get the better of you. Simply smile to yourself, realize it's meaningless in the grand scheme of life and stop the fight right there.

They will see that you're ignoring them and get the message quick enough that you're not really interested in the fight and you're going on with your happy life.

Hold your tongue, be patient, let them ventilate, then, because you're so calm, they will see what idiots they're being. Virtually all fights come from the same thing, you're not loving me enough lately. The cardinal rule of all fights is not to go past the point of no return.

If you don't, the love can always be restored. If you say the meanest, unforgivable thing you can, you will break something inside that will be lost forever so hold your tongue, show restraint.

The bottom line is that you don't have to fight, just live for peace like Jesus did. Ain't nothing nothing but a stupid, little thing in the grand scheme of things. Can you be that free to just keep going with a smile on your face and let everything roll off your back?

The best way to counter an angry spouse is to do something for her. The easiest thing is to buy a gift, the second easiest is to do some housework or humble yourself and offer her a foot massage.

Some fights are tests of love. Think of them as that. The wisest person recognizes that his spouse needs love most when she's being an idiot. Think of a difficult partner as a porcupine that needs a big hug. Plant that image in your mind and live it whenever the going gets tough. It really works.

When your partner gets crabby, that's the time for you to put on the super soft pads and bomb with love. It's all about ventilation, letting your partner get the hurt off his or her chest. Deal with issues directly and always try to be light and humorous about a serious scuffle.

Never get sarcastic. Think before you open your mouth. Be civil in voice intensity, don't shout. Have the guts to apologize and/ or call a truce. There are many ways to call a truce, all of them about swallowing your ego and humbling yourself.

The best way is to find a good CD at a music store that summarizes your feelings and give it to her. Ask the clerk or call a radio station and ask for a song that says, "I'm sorry for being a jerk" but if you do this too much, it will wear off as I saw in the John Denver biography movie where he brought his wife a new song he wrote for her after their umpteenth fight and she said it wouldn't work anymore whereupon she divorced him.

The one thing I've found about life is that tone of voice is everything. If you talk gently, regardless of what you say, you diffuse almost every situation.

Conflict, I believe, is a natural part of a love relationship because, despite the good that the love is doing for you, on the other hand, it is inevitably taking something away from your own personal identity and freedom.

Whether subconsciously or on the surface, this little bit of tension is always there (at least among couples together less than 20 years) and should be acknowledged and addressed. Call it the Power Play, the tension you two have when jostling for position with each other. There will inevitably be some tension between you which you probably choose to repress.

Look at conflict as a necessary release of tension or safety valve that if left unchecked will explode. Simply ask your lover at the end of the day how the day went then kiss her and cuddle her. Try to get it all out, not just a surface fight over who left the stove on but what's really going on underneath it all.

Oftentimes, little arguments are convenient scapegoats for bigger problems underneath such as a nag always nagging is probably unfulfilled as a human being and insecure in the relationship so she tries to get control by nagging.

Or if your girlfriend has a bad habit like smoking and she blows smoke in your face when she gets mad and you ignore her smoking until you get mad then criticize her for it.

Tension should be dealt with to clear the air. If left unchecked, it could blow up into bad fights. Don't get defensive and dump all your baggage out on your partner.

Listen, then try to get to the root of the problem. If left to simmer, it causes headaches, anxiety and disrupts everything else in your life.

You may turn to addiction, any form from shopping to drugs to numb the emptiness it leaves inside you. It may get so bad, you might try professional help but I believe that people should solve their own problems except in extreme cases. Get it out, solve it immediately through talk and understanding.

Invariably, the root cause to virtually every fight is resistance breeds resistance. The egocentric part in each of us tells us not to let anyone get the better of us. And somehow this translates to the ones we love, maybe because we're stuck so close in living proximity that we get on each other's nerves from time to time.

Say, for example, you make a mess, your wife nags you about it but you had a bad day so you say to yourself screw her and leave it.

She nags you again. You get up, wash the dishes purposely leaving them dirty to spite her. She sees this and gets mad, washing her own clothes in the laundry and leaving yours in a pile to smoulder.

You see that as a deliberate act so you retaliate by letting the dog into the bedroom all over the bed which she absolutely despises. Then you ignore each other and pretend to sleep while seething on each side of the bed.

Make it a point to stop yourself before your counterattack to her attack. When a conflict starts, automatically be extra nice to her right then, talk about it in a cool, rational manner and resolve it with some kind of mutual agreement. It's called the art of the deal.

Don't get into overexplaining and overanalysis too much. Be mature, cut it off, stop the cycle, make the first step towards reconciliation.

Ultimately, we're all individuals stuck in our own point of views made up of everything that ever happened to us which formed our attitudes and perceptions about the world.

We're all a tangled web of emotions. A relationship is a coming together of two tangled webs of emotions. Some parts fit, some don't.

The parts that fit may lead to a snug connection, the parts that don't could short circuit and self-destruct. My point in all this is that we are all individual entities floating around like blobs of flesh each encumbered in his own space and the reality is that no two blobs are exactly alike. It's just one of the facts of life.

No matter how close one gets to another, there's always the rift of individual differences. These can be dangerous, serious enough to destroy relationships.

As a relationship evolves, the similarities fade and the differences may be highlighted. This could lead to feelings of alienation when one realizes that the other is really not like him or her.

The best we can do is acknowledge in our minds that we are different, we come from different places so we must except and accept such things in our mates without going off half cocked feeling like strangers when we learn she didn't partake in the middle class ritual of summer camps like you did or some other ridiculous thing like that such as you like baseball, she thinks it's stupid.

Every single day is a new day. Just as it's a battle to keep your spark of inspiration alive, it's a battle to keep love hot all the time. I just be myself and try to be nice all the time. It's the easiest way to live.

When you're nice, karma comes back to you. No gimmicks, no big presents to buy her love, try to be nice to her, getting her things from the kitchen when she's sitting down and every night, sit beside her, talk to her and kiss her because you love her.

Conflict at Work

Within any group of people anywhere including the workplace, some people will naturally dislike some of the others, some wi ll be naturally attracted to others and form cliques while others will be loners who keep mostly to themselves or equal opportunity friends who try to be friends with everybody but have no allegiances to anybody.

I'm partial to the last type, I try to be friends with everybody because I will never know when I need somebody's help. I don't like to join small in-groups because that stigmatizes you and usually alienates you from other groups.

You always need little favors at work so the more people you're allied with, the better off you will be. Make a conscious effort to culture all the allies you can wherever you are.

Conflicts will happen simply because people are different and often don't particularly like people who are not like them. The best thing a company can do is to promote a live and let live policy, i.e. tolerance.

Negative people like to blame, instigate fights and hold grudges. In general, regardless of the source of the conflict, try to resolve it quickly before it gets out of hand. Be a good listener. Get both sides of the issue.

There is usually one asshole who starts something. Don't pull any punches. If one guy was being an asshole, give it to him, punish him, fire him if you have to.

Don't play the liberal role of trying to smooth things over for everyone because this doesn't solve anything.

Granted, some situations have no clear villain but most usually have one clear jerk and the victim. Promoting cooperation or separating the two might work in some situations but if you have a person who's a jerk by personality, why bother trying to work with him. Tell him he's a "Disruptive Force" and show him the door.

With minor conflicts involving good people, focus on the problem, not the person.

Try to minimize conflicts by creating a relaxed workplace without much stress in the first place. Barring that, always search for the objective truth in any situation. Clarify exactly what the issue is.

Try to stay out of some conflicts. Encourage employees to solve their little problems amongst each other themselves but if the problem is severe, encourage them to come to you, the boss, for help since that's your job anyway, to help keep production running smoothly.

When trying to mediate a situation, try to be objective. Treat everyone with respect and professionalism but look for the objective truth.

Every situation is different. Be intuitive in how you deal with it.

In some cases, it's best just to back off, let the players cool off then go on without resolving anything. In time, everybody will conveniently forget about it.

Clear channels of communication is essential for a happy workplace. Encourage frustrated, unhappy workers to tell you what's going on. Try to relate and empathize with them. Stay calm and try to keep them calm.

Do not fight anger with anger. Tell him to cool off for five minutes then try again. Try to be relaxed and not confronting because confrontation is usually met with resistance. Simply say you're not taking sides, you just want to get to the truth and keep repeating it.

Avoid the little in-groups that keep to themselves, separate themselves from the mainstream group and gossip about them.

Make your identity at work be that of the sociable one friendly with everyone but with a part of you that no one can penetrate because you're too strong for all of them with their trivial gossip office politics crap.

Play it as kind of the person on the outside looking in, checking it out but with your own identity away from work.

In the workplace you have different jobs, the secretaries, the managers, sales, accounting, production, transport, etc.

Within these groups, there may be squabbles among cliques like the blue collar drinking types versus the corny conservatives and every individual thinking about where he is in the pecking order especially if you're ranked in your PERs.

Beyond this inner-group jostling for position and squabbling, every group is generally united against the other groups meaning your loyalty is to your own group first over anyone else and sometimes your group might even fight or openly hate other groups.

The biggest strength at work or conversely, the biggest problem is people. It's always about people, the way they relate to each other. There are no easy answers. People are naturally tribal, they stick to their own kind and shut out the rest in a kind of us against them attitude.

This is human nature. You have to deal with it. Your best bet is to acknowledge these tribes exist and identify them in your workplace. The trick is not to eliminate them because you can't but to actively encourage everybody to get along with each other and at the very least, to tolerate each other.

Either put up posters or make occasional speeches about brotherly love, multi-culturalism and things like that, especially after there's some kind of squabble.

Try to encourage teamwork and common respect for your fellow man. Tell them they don't have to love each other, just work together as a team while they're at work.

If one tribe goes off too far on their own alienating themselves from the rest of the organization, that may be alright provided they get the job done but if you need them as part of the main group, you either have to fire the leaders or reassign them to other different tribes in the organization and put a few equal opportunity friends in with them to break them up. Don't force phony social relations, just encourage common respect and teamwork.

The head guy of a big worldwide delivery company said he changes everybody every year or so. He either puts them in a different job, with a different group or on a different shift.

In essence, some basic guidelines on how to promote a healthy workplace are:

Encourage a teamwork atmosphere.

Stimulate people to be interested in their work but not overworked.

A good way to get different groups to get along is to just put some of them together to work on a project or encourage them to brainstorm about making their two departments work better together or something like that.

Try to get people from different groups to work together physically in the same area if at all possible. Don't just segment them off into separate units so they barely see each other.

As with people anywhere, the more they get close to each other to talk and get to know each other, the more civil, friendly and helpful they will be to each other.

Give each person physical space. Don't stand too close to someone ventilating his frustrations.

Don't give off a challenging stance. Don't point your finger or cross your arms. Don't glare or stare.

Ask the person how he thinks the conflict should be resolved.

If an individual is putting everybody and everything down, ask for specifics.

Be reassuring. Your job is to calm people down in the moment.

Do not make promises you cannot keep.

Books about conflict management are at #303.69, #658.4 or HD42 and HM1126 at the library.

Conflict Resolution Websites

Spouses and families fight and people in business fight. Here are some websites to help you resolve conflicts.

acrnet.org, acresolution.org, the association for conflict resolution.

crinfo.org, conflict resolution gateway.

accri.org, correspondence course on conflict resolution.

acresolution.org, association for conflict resolution.

business-marketing.com/store/conflict.html, conflict management training videos, dvds, books, workshops, seminars.

campus-adr.org, campus conflict resolution resources.

ccrcmediation.com, chesapeake conflict resolution center.

ccrweb.ccr.uct.ac.za, centre for conflict resolution.

cheetahpm.com

cicr-icrc.ca, canadian institute for conflict resolution.

conflict.colorado.edu

conflictresearch.org conflictresolution.com

conflict-resolution.org, center for conflict resolution at salisbury university.

conflictresolution.org/primer/enter.htm

conflictresolution.pdx.edu, the conflict resolution graduate program.

conflictresolutionblog.com

conflictresolutionusa.com/conflict_resolution.htm

consensus.fsu.edu, florida conflict resolution consortium.

cooperativecoach.com

crcvt.org, conflict resolution catalysts.

crinfo.org, the conflict resolution information source.

crnhq.org, conflict resolution network.

defyingrightandwrong.com, learn conflict resolution skills.

ecr.gov, u.s. institute for environmental conflict resolution.

effectiveexecutivecoaching.com

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/conflict_resolution

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/journal_of_conflict_resolution

fambizadvice.com, national center for family business.

gridinternational.com, conflict resolution training seminars.

hewlett.org/archives/conflictresolution

hispeace.org/html/church_respond.htm, peacemaking in the church, responding to church conflict.

humanresources. dead website, try dotdash.com/od/managementtips/a/conflict_solue.htm

incore.ulst.ac.uk, degree program in conflict resolution.

jstor.org/journals/07314086.html

learningcenter.net/trust/

library.gmu.edu/resources/socsci/conflict.html

mediate.com

national crime prevention council, conflict resolution.

nccre.org, national center for conflict resolution education.

ncpc.org/topics/conflict_resolution/index.php, nicr.ca, the network, interaction for conflict resolution, canada.

padco.aecom.com/marketsandservices/38/58/index.jsp

peaceplease.com, peace products like t-shirts.

pei.sympatico.ca/conflictres

safeyouth.org/scripts/teens/conflict.asp

studygs.net/conflres.htm, cooperative conflict resolution.

thecampergroup.com/conflict-resolution.html, workplace conflict resolution management training.

trainingabc.com, workplace conflict resolution videos.

trinstitute.org/ojpcr, journal of peace and conflict resolution.

w1.312.telia.com/~u31205597/

weinholds.org/marriagecounselingpsychotherapyintensives.htm, colorado institute for conflict resolution and creative leadership.

work911.com/conflict

Association for Conflict Resolution

1015 18th Street NW, Suite 1150

Washington, DC 20036

(202) 464-9700

acrnet.org

Fighting in Relationships Websites/ Argument Websites

spatclash.com, the next time you have an argument, let people vote about who was right .

queendom.com/articles/love/arguing_intro.html

aclu.org/getequal/ffm, fighting for marriage.

andrea-sheehy.com/fair-fighting.htm

burrelstreetwise.com/streetwise-conflict-tips1.php

buzzle.com/editorials/11-29-2005-82616.asp

chinesefortunecalendar.com/mixrelationship.htm

community.lifehack.org/story/20051222/article/how_to_stop_the_fighting_in_your_relationships

elizabethmapstone.com/wow/

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/logical_argument

enhancedhealing.com/articles/view.php?article=189

ezinearticles.com/?love, -relationships-and-sacred-love--fighting-off-the-gremlins-that-shorten-relationships

=323405

familyfight.com

fishbowl.pastiche.org/2004/03/21/charles_rules_of_argument

fortuneangel.com/allrelationships.htm

health.yahoo.com/topic/relationships

healthduo.com/how-to-stop-the-a7178.html

lifehacker.com/software/relationships

lifestyle.msn.com/relationships/default.aspx

lonniebest.com/arguing/

marriage. dead website, try dotdash.com/cs/conflictandanger/ht/fightfair.htm

positiveconflicts.com

powa.org/argument/

queendom.com/arguing_style.html

queendom.com/tests/relationships/arguing_style_r_access.html

relationshipdata.info/25135.php

relationship-helps-and-advice.com/fightingfair.html

relationships.com.au/advice/fair_fighting.asp

utexas.edu/student/cmhc/booklets/fighting/fighting.html

Chapter 5. Alternative Dispute Resolution

Conflict Resolution at Home and in Business

Spouses and families fight and people in business fig ht. Here are some websites to help you res olve conflicts. The key is to give a little bit and compromise.

Try not to start off with a negative attitude. Don't go in half-cocked looking for a fight or to unload on someone.

You can't beat around the bush. People can't read minds. You have to approach the other person and state directly that we have an issue we should try to resolve together. Try to be cooperative.

Identify/ define exactly what the problem is without criticizing a person.

Try to resolve it being curious and friendly rather than oppositional. Just say we've got an issue we should try to solve.

Don't bring the police or a lawyer into it unless personal, face-to-face measures fail.

acrnet.org, acresolution.org, the association for conflict resolution.

accri.org, correspondence course on conflict resolution.

acresolution.org, association for conflict resolution.

business-marketing.com/store/conflict.html, conflict management training videos, dvds, books, workshops, seminars.

campus-adr.org, campus conflict resolution resources.

ccrcmediation.com, chesapeake conflict resolution center.

ccrweb.ccr.uct.ac.za, centre for conflict resolution.

cheetahpm.com

cicr-icrc.ca, canadian institute for conflict resolution.

conflict.colorado.edu

conflictresearch.org conflictresolution.com

conflict-resolution.org, center for conflict resolution at salisbury university.

conflictresolution.org/primer/enter.htm

conflictresolution.pdx.edu, the conflict resolution graduate program.

conflictresolutionblog.com

conflictresolutionusa.com/conflict_resolution.htm

consensus.fsu.edu, florida conflict resolution consortium.

cooperativecoach.com

crcvt.org, conflict resolution catalysts.

crinfo.org, the conflict resolution information source.

crnhq.org, conflict resolution network.

defyingrightandwrong.com, learn conflict resolution skills.

ecr.gov, u.s. institute for environmental conflict resolution.

effectiveexecutivecoaching.com

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/conflict_resolution

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/journal_of_conflict_resolution

fambizadvice.com, national center for family business.

gridinternational.com, conflict resolution training seminars.

hewlett.org/archives/conflictresolution

hispeace.org/html/church_respond.htm, peacemaking in the church, responding to church conflict.

humanresources. dead website, try dotdash.com/od/managementtips/a/conflict_solue.htm

incore.ulst.ac.uk, degree program in conflict resolution.

jstor.org/journals/07314086.html

learningcenter.net/trust/

library.gmu.edu/resources/socsci/conflict.html

mediate.com

nccre.org, national center for conflict resolution education.

ncpc.org/topics/conflict_resolution/index.php, nicr.ca, the network, interaction for conflict resolution, canada.

padco.aecom.com/marketsandservices/38/58/index.jsp

peaceplease.com, peace products like t-shirts.

pei.sympatico.ca/conflictres

safeyouth.org/scripts/teens/conflict.asp

studygs.net/conflres.htm, cooperative conflict resolution.

thecampergroup.com/conflict-resolution.html, workplace conflict resolution - management training.

trainingabc.com, workplace conflict resolution videos.

trinstitute.org/ojpcr, journal of peace and conflict resolution.

weinholds.org/marriagecounselingpsychotherapyintensives.htm, colorado institute for conflict resolution and creative leadership.

work911.com/conflict

Mediation and Arbitration at Work

If you're in an employee-employer employment dispute for breach of contract, unjust termination or any other matter, rather than go through the courts, you can go through mediation or arbitration.

In mediation, the mediator is a neutral third party. In collaborative law, it's just the two sides talking it out with no third party present.

Mediation and collaborative law are generally agreed to by both sides together.

In arbitration, the arbitrator makes the final decision just like a judge does.

The mediator could be a lawyer or a professional in the social work/ counseling field. It is much cheaper than using lawyers and lawyers don't particularly like it.

Mediation at Work Websites

mediationworks.com/mti, mediationworks - resources for managing workplace conflict

adrforum.com, national arbitration forum, useful information on employment arbitration

transformativemediation.org

acjnet.org, access to justice ntwork.

afccnet.org, assn. of family and conciliatory courts.

collaborativedivorce.homestead.com/faqs.html

divorceasfriends.com

mediation.com

mediatorindex.com

mediationworks.com, mediation training institute.

nicr.ca, network: interaction for conflict resolution canada.

nocourt.org/principles.htm, collaborative law.

spidr.org, society of professionals in dispute resolution.

American Arbitration Assn.

335 Madison Ave.

Nyc 10017-4605

212-716-5870

Fax: 212-716-5905

800-778-7879

Fax: 877-info-aaa

adr.org

National headquarters of this nonprofit organization with 37 regional offices. Divorce mediators available.

Association for Conflict Resolution

1015 18th St., NW

#1150 Washington, DC 20036

202-464-9700

acrnet.org

Assn. of Conflict Resolution

1527 New Hampshire Ave. Nw

Washington, Dc 20036

202-667-9700

mediate.com

Alternative Dispute Resolution/ ADR

Instead of going to court on a civil matter like a divorce, a business disagreement, a consumer problem, a landlord-tenant issues, etc., you might be able to resolve a civil problem or dispute by simply talking to the complainant or you may both agree to a formal proceeding commonly called an Alternative Dispute Resolution/ ADR.

These kinds of legal processes can be used in almost all kinds of civil cases including employment, business dispute, family, divorce, neighbors, landlord-tenant, consumer, personal injury, home improvement services and contracts.

There are several different types of ADRs. The spirit of all of them is that the two sides sit together with a neutral third party who will either act as the referee or the judge, depending on the type of ADR the players choose.

In order for there to be an ADR as opposed to a court case, both sides have to be open and friendly enough to agree to this arrangement and agree to bide by the results. They are still adversarial but willing to give a little bit more than in a court case.

Depending on the laws in your area geographically and in the subject area of your dispute, there could be provisions in the law that allow you to choose ADR instead of a regular court case or you could operate independently of the court system if you want.

Before you file a lawsuit, ask the other side if they would be willing to go through an ADR process rather than go to court over it.

The biggest advantages of ADR over litigation are:

Speed of resolution.

Cheaper costs, no lawyers getting high fees for an extended period of time.

With ADR, if it breaks down or you don't like the way it's going, you can always revert back to the court trial process if you want.

The general procedure is as follows:

Both sides agree to an ADR process.

The two sides write an agreement where they agree on the time, the duration of the process and who, if anyone, will make the final decision.

Sometimes, but not all, each side will write up their version of events to give to the arbitrator/ mediator.

There will have to be an agreement to how the arbitrator will be paid and possibly a constraint on time. Both sides could agree that the process will go on regardless of time constraints or agree to x number of hours for the process then that will be it. either they or the arbitrator will have to make a decision after that.

On the day of the meeting, each side will come in, the moderator will explain the case briefly by defining the exact issue at hand then give each side a chance to make their presentation.

After this, they will discuss, argue and negotiate until either they reach a mutual decision or if they can't, the moderator will say he has heard enough and goes off to deliberate about his decision. This could take several days.

The moderator's skill is in being neutral while being civil and friendly to both sides. His job is to help each see the other side, to prevent them from fighting and keeping a level head so that both sides stay to work through it.

He can inject his ideas about how the two parties should resolve the issue at hand.

The moderator has the option to talk to each side in private if he wants in order to help him resolve the issue at hand.

If one of the sides doesn't like the way the proceeding is going, they can cut it off before the final decision and revert back to the court litigation process.

In big cases, several people sit on a board of arbitrators or mediators and hear a case as a team.

Think of the moderator as a judge, referee, teacher and ideas person. Think of ADR as good faith bargaining.

Negotiation

The simplest type of ADR is a Negotiation Process. Both sides try to work it out. They try to hammer out a deal together by talking it out while a third party tries to help them with general advice. You have to give a little bit and compromise.

Each side states its terms then you discuss them anywhere from a few minutes to several days and end up with an agreement.

Mediation

Mediation is a good faith process with both sides presumably entering into it to come to a fair settlement. If one side is in stronger or bullying position, mediation is no good. If one side wants punitive damages, the issue has to be resolved in a court of law.

The mediator must be someone who does not have an emotional or financial stake in the outcome. Mediators should be professionals who don't know the players involved.

The mediator's job is to sit with the players and try to keep them calm and cordial while you all work on solving the problem you're working on.

A mediator schedules a meeting at a time and place convenient to everyone. He wants them all to feel they can speak openly and makes it clear that his job is to get to the bottom of the problem.

The mediator gives the players turns explaining their position, issues or feelings. Make a rule that they are not to be interrupted while speaking.

Have someone take notes.

Encourage questions by the other side after one side has spoken. Periodically, with a complicated point, have the note-taker read back what someone said such that the person can either confirm or clarify it.

Invite everyone to offer their own solutions. Discuss these possible solutions. Try to come to a solution that everyone can accept. It will usually be a compromise, each side giving a little bit.

The ideal is to let the people experiencing the conflict decide on a solution among themselves without input from the mediator. If they can't, then the mediator has to make that decision for them. Tell them that you would rather that they come to an agreement amongst themselves rather than you making it for them.

Once you reach a solution, tell them you'll put it into practice for a week or two then call another meeting to discuss it and make adjustments if necessary.

The mediator is more a moderator than a judge. He's controlling the flow of discussion betwwen the two parties. His job is to keep them talking until they come to a decision together.

If the talks break down, they can choose to go back to court to settle the problem. The proceedings are informal and although you can bring a lawyer, it doesn't seem appropriate because of the good faith nature of the process.

Arbitration

Arbitration is a process wherein if you have a beef against anyone regardless of whether it's business, a landlord-tenant dispute or any civil manner, you can take it to arbitration rather than to a court where an arbiter, who is less stringent than a judge, will hear your case and the decision he or she makes will be legally binding.

The advantages of arbitration are generally less formality than a court trial, less expensive and less time consuming. The difference between arbitration and mediation is that in arbitration, the arbiter generally makes the final judgment whereas in mediation, the mediator tries to get the parties involved to reach some kind of agreement amongst themselves.

The tendency of alternative dispute resolutions is that the arbitrator will typically try to satisfy both parties and split the case down the middle rather than a court case which usually ends up with a winner and a loser.

Both sides agree that the arbitrator, a neutral third party will make the final decision that will be legally binding.

This process is more formal than mediation and both sides can bring evidence and witnesses in and also use lawyers in the process.

This sounds a lot like regular trial but it differs in that the arbitrator is much more flexible about not having to follow the procedure of law and can use evidence not normally accepted in a court of law like hearsay. After the hearing, the arbitrator deliberates and delivers a written decision within 30 days and that's it. There's no magic verdict moment, it's a piece of paper. The decision of a binding arbitration is final and you can't appeal it.

Also, you can't use a jury as in a regular trial.

Summary

Both mediation and arbitration are private unlike public courtroom trials.

There are Alternative Dispute Resolution Centers all across the country. Check the Yellow Pages of the phone book under the following categories:

Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Arbitration. Mediation Service.

Also, refer to your local Better Business Bureau which does a lot of arbitration and mediation work in consumer affairs between customers and business owners.

They also help a lot of unhappy car owners get satisfaction from the dealers. In the final analysis, if you think it's a viable option in your case, consider mediation/ arbitration in lieu of a court trial.

There are books about ADR at #347.710-740 and KE8615 or KF9084 at the library.

ADR Websites

Contact one of the following organizations or the trade organization in the area you're disputing:

adr.org, american arbitrati on assn.

bcicac.com

cdrc.com

cedr.co.uk, center for dispute resolution.

clicknsettle.com

conflictresolution.org

cpradr.org, cpr institute for dispute resolution.

cybersettle.com

cybertribunal.org, arbitration.

disputes.org, list of adr business who settle disputes.

iahl.org, international alliance of holistic lawyers.

igc.org, conflict net.

institutefornonviolence.com.aum world institute for nonviolence and reconciliation.

internetneutral.com

jurisint.org/pub/03/en/index, arbitration and mediation world.

mediate.com

mediation.org, academy of family mediators.

mediations.com

no-faultadr.org, new york.

ombuds.com, arbitration for copright law.

onlinemediators.com

spidr.org, society of professionals in dispute resolution

theelectriccourthouse.com

vmag.law.vill.edu, virtual magistrate, online arbitration.

American Bar Assn.

Standing Committee On Dispute Resolution

740 15th St. Nw

Washington, Dc 20009

202-662-1680

abanet.org/publiced

Will help you find a resolution program to deal with a consumer problem.

Better Business Bureau

4200 Wilson Blvd.

#800

Arlington, Va 22203

703-276-0100

800-334-2406

bbb.org

Endispute Mediation Organization

800-35205267

800-400-3773

jams-enddispute.com

National Arbitration Forum

800-474-2371

arb-forum.org

National Institute For Dispute Resolution

1901 L St. Nw

#600

Washington, Dc 20036

202-862-0100

202-466-4764

crenet.org

Public Investors Arbitration Bar Assn. Norman, Ok

888-621-7484

404-365-0150

piaba.org

Will recommend a lawyer for arbitration.

Remodelling Contractors Assn.

1 Regency Dr.

Bloomfield, Ct 06002

203-242-6823

Society of Professionals In Dispute Resolution

815 15th St. Nw

#530

Washington, Dc 20005

202-783-7277

Mediation Organizations In Canada

afcnet.org, assn. of family and conciliatory courts.

amic.org, arbitration and mediation institute canada.

attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/html/family/familymediation.htm, ontario mandatory mediation program.

canada2.justice.gc.ca

ccmediation.com, canadian center on mediation.

cle.bc.ca/cle/analysis/collection, collaborative law.

dispute.resolution.uvic.ca

disputes.org/eresolution.ca, canada.

mediation.com

mediation-services.ca

mediationworks.com, mediation training institute.

nicr.ca, network: interaction for conflict resolution canada.

nicu.ca

Arbitration and Mediation Institute of Canada

232 - 329 March Rd.

Box 11

Kanata, On K2k 2e1

877-475-4353

613-599-0878

Fax: 613-599-7027

amic@igs.net

amic.org

Canadian Bar Assn.

Task Force on ADR

902-50 O'Connor St.

Ottawa, On K1p 6l2

800-267-8860

613-237-2925

613-237-1988

Fax: 613-237-0185

info@cba.org

cba.org

Contact them for a referral to a mediation program in your area.

Center for Mediation

2300 Yonge St.

#709

Toronto, ON M4P 1E4

416 544 0633

Fax: 416 544 0631

Family Mediation Canada

123 Wallich St.

2nd Fl.

Guelph, On N1h 3b1

519-836-7750

Fax: 519-836-7204

fmc@web.net

fmc.ca

Chapter 6. Crime at Work

Commercial/ Financial/ White Collar Crime

Financial Crime is any white collar crime where somebody steals money by shuffling papers and comp uter bytes around. Money laundering, computer theft, forgery and ambezzlement are quite popular.

Commercial criminals, corporate raiders could be either or all of the following in a publicly traded corporation; CEO, executives, shareholders with 5+ % of the shares, new CEO brought in to restructure the company, large investment companies, money manager of mutual fund, retirement fund, etc., anyone that has a large stake in the corporation.

Basically, the trend is that one or several of the players get together and decide that the particular corporation is a cash cow ripe for the pickings.

It could be a corporation that's doing great or a fledging one, it doesn't really matter. What matters is that the players can manipulate the situation such that stock rises in the short term very quickly, within 18 months then they cash in their stocks/ stock options, make their killing and get out either leaving a bankrupt company, merged company or company that basically exists on paper and is dead in the water.

Typically, one of the players such as a new CEO will try to get hype in the media by quickly firing a bunch of employees, selling off some divisions, moving some of the operations to Mexico, creating new product lines, etc., in an effort to give off the impression that they're restructuring and getting aggressive so that the stock value rises but the point is that all they care about is the value of the stock not about the growth of the corporation itself such that they're basically plundering the corporation, taking their profit and getting out.

Watch out for hype about corporate restructuring or a merger. It may be a good thing but it may be just a short term gain before the stock crashes. In any event, although good for the guys at the top, corporate raiding is deadly for the employees and other people involved with the corporation.

Nowadays, you got a host of companies being found out for shoddy accounting practices and all kinds of other indiscretions. The truth is that these commercial crimes generally steal way more than your average bank heist but up until recently the penalties have been far less.

I hope the government holds true to its promise to throw all people in the financial investing industry and corporate executives who steal/ extort money in jail for a long, long time, at least ten years, to get the message out that you don't mess with other people's money regardless of where it is, either a corner store hold-up or the guy in the office messing with the computer.

Money in fines is not enough punishment because there's no incentive not to do it again if the punishment is just money and the risk of getting caught is still relatively low.

Major media doesn't like to cover commercial crime in their news reports because they're kinfolk with these corporate criminals. They'd rather do a story on the poor black guy who stole a car then went on a rampage in a police chase.

Collusion is a dirty little secret of Wall Street. The boys in the backroom are all scratching each other's backs, even the media guys are hanging out with CEOs and reporting favorably on their companies in return for a favor.

There are even politicians "owned" by Wall Street. They vote on bills for Wall Street over more protection for the people.

Beyond collusion, creative accounting to puff up the company's book is big. I read a book by Arthur Levitt, a former SEC Chairman, who detailed a lot of these techniques.

If a CEO gets to pick his own board of directors then they're all in bed together. In order to run an ethical company, the CEO must be independent from the board. They should feel free to oppose him. They should be independent in order to watch each other for possible wrong doing or poor work in general.

We need more ethical journalists covering corporate crime and more police investigators on the trail of corporate crime. Commercial crimes also span:

Environmental crimes.

Occupational health and safety.

Deceptive advertising.

Misrepresenting the product.

Fraud in the product like selling a concoction as pure orange juice.

Consumer safety issues.

Making deals with politicians for favor.

Bribing government officials to look the other way like inspectors.

Price fixing.

Monopolizing the market.

Healthcare companies denying claims unjustly.

Insurance companies denying claims unjustly.

Fraudulent bankruptcy.

Beyond actual crimes, the corporations employ many lobbyists in grey areas to preserve their interests not to mention how much money they contribute to "friendly" politicians. They also use other questionable tactics like:

Silence opposing big mouths by any means possible.

Set up front groups to advance their interests while posing as concerned citizens.

Get rid of aggressive, ethical journalists through the buddy network between corporations.

Corporations own the media so they can report what they want.

The current "successful" journalists hosting their own shows are the pro-corporate mouthpieces who openly support the corporatization of the world.

Libel laws make it tough for ethical people to want to report something lest they be sued. Even if it's the truth, they're still sued and end up wasting away in court.

Are the superstores that open in some areas doing the right thing by trashing all the mom and pop businesses by their presence?

Those with the power reward those who serve it and trash those who undermine it even when the latter are ethically right.

Corporations now have their logos plastered in some museums for giving them endorsements.

Several years ago I didn't know why all those people were protesting whenever there was a meeting of world leaders anywhere.

It's because at heart, the political and corporate forces of the world want to make everything into one big homogenous corporate country, the New World Order, controlled by them and whatever they say goes.

We the little guys either get in line and play the game or be branded as outsiders who can't earn a living because we're not part of this system. Maybe it sounds far-fetched but this is the direction the corporate-political world is going.

If you know someone you don't like who's systematically and substantially evading taxes, you can claim a reward by turning them in. Section 7623 of the IRS Code authorizes a reward for turning anyone in who violates federal tax law.

You have to fill in Form 211 and use your real name to claim it. Mail the completed form to Informant's Claim Examiner at the nearest IRS Office to where you live.

The IRS says they'll keep your name confidential such that the person you turned in will never find out it was you who did it.

Rewards are based on the value of the information given and the amount recovered. There are three different scales, generally 1, 5 and 10% of the first $75,000 recovered plus lower percentages for more up to $100,000. Send a letter to:

Criminal Investigative Division

Irs

Washington, Dc 20224

irs.gov

The book Conspiracy of Fools is the story of the fiasco of the corporation Enron.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 has given the SEC (sec.gov) more powers in dealing with corporate executives in publicly traded organizations.

Books about commercial crime are at #364.160-169 or HV6691 to HV6769 at the library.

Commercial Crime Websites

lawprofessors.typepad.com/whitecollarcrime_blog

americangreed.cnbc.com

whitecollarfraud.com

8009endfraud.com, 800 9 end fraud, law office, refers to fraud of government contracts.

adbusters.org, 800-663-1243

cfenet.com, certified fraud examiners.

corporatepredators.org

corpwatch.org

culturejam.com, culturejam.org

essential.org

essential.org/monitor

fbi.gov

financialweb.com/stockdetective

fletc.gov, federal law enforcement training center, georgia. runs the financial fraud institute for government agents.

ftc.gov

fugitive.org/crimeprevention/white/whitecollarcrime

media-awareness.ca

multinationalmonitor.org, watch corporations.

nasdr.com, 800 289 9999, national assn. of securities dealers, check to see if a broker was ever disciplined.

opensecrets.org, politics.

sec.gov

sec.gov/litigation/complaints securities.stanford.edu, database of all federal class action securities fraud lawsuits.

usdoj.gov

Financial Crimes Enforcement Network

Dept. of Treasury

800-Sos-Buck

703-905-6096

ustreas.gov/fincen

International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators

415-884-6600

iafct.org

National Assn. of Securities Dealers

800-289-9999

301-590-6500

nasdr.com

Free disciplinary report on licensed investment brokers.

National Business Crime

Information Hotline

800-241-5689

If you know someone commiting any type of crime in business and you want to get them in trouble, give an anonymous report at this phone number. The authorities will not arrest anybody immediately but investigate the situation.

National Finance Adjusters

410-728-2400

nfa.org

National Financial Fraud Exchange

Reston, Va

800-822-0416

They will check up on an advisor for you for a fee of about $50 from their database. They don't cover insurance agents.

National White Collar Crime Center

804-323-3563

nw3c.org

usdoj.gov

SEC

Division of Enforcement

202-942-4000

202-942-4542

202-942-8090, check on licensing status of stockbroker.

sec.gov

Report insider trading and other crimes.

Securities Information Center

617-345-4900

secic.com

Database of forged, counterfeit, lost and stolen securities. Used by investment investigators, not directly available to the public as far as I know although you can make a request through an investigator.

Time Finance Adjusters

800-874-0510

tfaguide.com

Chapter 7. Whistleblowing Guide

Whistleblower Info

If you see something being done on the job that's morally wrong, you should report it t o the police. There are laws in p lace saying that whistleblowers can't be fired for whistleblowing.

On the bad side, even though there are whistleblower laws in place to protect people who expose wrongdoing, laws can't dictate the way they'll be blackballed and shunned even if they keep their jobs.

Who wants to work in a place where everybody hates them or at least avoids them because they have been stigmatized as a big mouth, tattle-tailer, whistle blower?

I acknowledge that it's not easy to do the right thing in some circumstances especially if it's where you work but your conscience should be your guide throughout life, even if the cost is high.

I recently saw some FDA whistleblowers say they had to do the right thing by exposing drug test cover-ups because they had to live with themselves. If you have a case against somebody with facts, not lies and you want publicity, make a video and put it on youtube.com. If it's good, the mainstream media will pick it up and interview you.

angelfire.com/nj/jhgraf/anid.html, a personal account about american government conspiracies by a whistleblower.

answers.com/topic/whistleblower

asacon.com/oalj/libwhist.htm, whistleblower law library.

bbc.co.uk/consumer/tv_and_radio/whistleblower/index.shtml, a programme which investigates anti-social or criminal practices in organisations

dol.gov/compliance/topics/whistleblower.htm, labor.

employeeissues.com/whistleblower.htm

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/allen_jones_whistleblower, pharmaceutical industry.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/anthony_russo_whistleblower, pentagon papers.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/david_graham_whistleblower, fda whistleblower.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/national_security_whistleblowers_coalition

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/whistleblower

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/whistleblower_magazine

jeffreywigand.com, tobacco whistleblower.

oalj.dol.gov/libwhist.htm, oalj law library

osc.gov/wbdisc.htm, u.s. office of special counsel.

osha.gov/dep/oia/whistleblower, health and safety.

quitam.com, provides useful links and information on whistleblower litigation.

whistleblower.org, government accountability project.

whistleblower.ucsf.edu

whistleblowerlaws.com

whistle-blower-net.com

whistleblower-net.de, germany.

whistleblowers.org, national whistleblower center.

Some Whistleblower/ Crime Phone Numbers in the Federal Government

fic.info.gov, government telephone book.

fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm#cities, federal bureau of investigation

usdoj.gov/dea/contactinfo, drug enforcement agency.

Army Whistleblower Hotline

800-752-9747

Army Whistleblower Hotline

800-424-9098

Report fraud and corruption by contractors.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

888-atf-tips, general tips

888-atf-fiire, arson hotline

888-atf-bomb, bomb hotline

800-atf-guns, guns

800-659-6242, stolen, hijacked or seized cigarettes

800-800-3855, suspicious people buying fertilizer

Department of Homeland Security

Federal Computer Incident Hotline (888) 282-0870

ready.gov

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Whistleblower Hotline

800-869-4499

fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm#cities

Federal Emergency Management Agency Fraud Hotline

800-323-8603

fema.gov

Federal Trade Commission

Consumer Fraud Complaints 877-FTC-HELP

877-ID-THEFT, Identity Theft Hotline

ftc.gov

Internal Revenue Service

Criminal Investigations 800-829-0433

irs.gov

Call when you suspect a violation of the tax code. You're eligible for a reward in some cases.

Navy Whistleblower Hotline

800-522-3451

Taxpayer Complaint Hotline Number

800 audtime

irs.gov

Complain about the Irs.

Transportation Security Agency

Security Concerns (866) 289-9673

U.S. Customs

800-BE-ALERT

cbp.gov

Drug Smuggling Hotline.

U.S. Marshals Service

Fugitive Tip Hotline 800-336-0102

Whistleblower Hotline

Department of Agriculture

800-424-9121

usda.gov

Whistleblower Hotline

Dept of Commerce

800-424-5197

doc.gov

Whistleblower Hotline

Dept. of Education

800-647-8733

ed.gov

Whistleblower Hotline

Department of Energy

800-541-1625

doe.gov

Whistleblower Hotline

Department of the Interior

800-424-5081

doi.gov

Whistleblower Hotline

Department of Justice

800-869-4466

usdoj.gov

Whistleblower Hotline

Department of Labor

800-347-3756

dol.gov

Whistleblower Hotline

State Dept.

202-647-3320

state.gov

Whistleblower Hotline

Department of Transportation

800-424-9071

dot.gov

Whistleblower Hotline

Department of the Treasury

Internal Revenue Service

800-359-3898

ustreas.gov

Whistleblower Reward Service

You have to fill in Form 211 and use your real name to claim it. Mail the completed form to Informant's Claim Examiner at the nearest IRS Office to where you live.

The IRS says they will keep your name confidential such that the person you turned in will never find out it was you who did it.

Refer to Section 7623 of the IRS Code and fill out Form 211.

Criminal Investigative Division

Irs

Washington, Dc 20224

202-622-3200

irs.gov

Irs Internal Security

202-622-4610

Watches over unscrupulous employees.

Whistleblower Lawyers

employmentlawgroup.net, based in washington d.c.

fraudhotline.com, law firm, providing representation for qui tam whis tleblower actions under the false claims act.

lawyers.com

qui-tam-attorney.com, new york city firm, focusing on whistleblower or qui tam cases under the false claims act.

warrenbensonlaw.com, san diego firm emphasizing whistleblower cases.

whistleblower.info, whistleblower law protection act, loevy and loevy, the law firm dedicated to protecting the rights of fraud whistleblowers.

whistleblower.labovick.com, whistleblower lawyer and attorney labovick law firm, florida whistleblower.lawyersandsettlements.com, whistleblower lawyers, articles, resources, news, forum and stories.

whistleblowerlawyerblog.com

whistleblower-lawyer-referral.com

yourlawyer.com, qui tam whistleblower law.

whistlebloweraid.com

Chapter 8. The Internet at Work

Internet at Work

All employers should set up ground rules for employee internet usage and put them in the c ompany manual and/ or on the bull etin board. You should also tell them you're monitoring their usage via a security software program like spectorsoft.com which records all e-mails sent and received and records the names of all websites visited in a neat file.

Employees expect workers to work while at work and not cruise the internet for personal reasons. This is a reasonable request. If I were a business owner, I would allow the employees to use the internet for personal reasons only on their own time as with breaks and after work for a short while.

I would record usage, tell them I was doing it, tell them the penalty was severe, a $200 fine and three strikes and they were gone. I would enforce this rule by checking on the software and acting on transgressions.

I would offer a reward of $100 for anyone who anonymously reported someone they saw using the internet for personal reasons which means I wouldn't disclose who told me, if anyone. I would just have to go to my trusty software and it would all be there tabulated by time.

Another area of internet usage in the workplace that has caused problems is the sexual harassment issue such as with dirty jokes being e-mailed around or somebody viewing a porno site in full view of others who don't want to see these things. If it's done on company time with company computers, the company is ultimately responsible.

Even though some workers claim it's a privacy issue, that they're being snooped on at work, the legal fact is that you have no real privacy at work except in the bathroom. As a legal safeguard, an employer should state explicitly that employees have no privacy at work and should expect to be monitored.

Another point is that in order for the company to protect itself from sabotage in the form of viruses, set up ground rules for downloading information and software from unreliable sources or opening e-mail attachments from people they don't know.

Either have them download information only from reliable contacts, come see you with questionable transmissions or have a separate computer off in the corner not attached to the company network which they can use to send and receive things from questionable sources.

Finally, employees are both curious and vindicative so if you give your employees free rein over the entire company network, they could do some damage if they get mad enough.

Set up your network such that employees can't get into valuable information they don't need to do their jobs and damage it somehow.

Have a back-up system or two in place. A good system which I've used a few times is to have a feature where your computer goes back in time a day or two so if you have a problem, you merely start up your computer and go back a day to the time before you had that problem thus avoiding it altogether.

Put a clause in the employment contract stating that when an employee leaves the company, he is no longer allowed to access the company website. Render his password void.

theinternetpatrol.com/employees-cant-be-fired-for-surfing-porn-on-the-job

thechannelinsider.com

techdirt.com

Cyber-Spying At Work

Beware that your bosses at work can install simple sptware software and track every website you surf and every e-mail you send and get.

Spyware records which websites are visited on the computers you install it on. This software creates a secret file such that you can view all transmissions on the computer like websites visited, e-mails, chats, etc.

algorithm.com

apbnews.com

avsweb.com/mom

bestspyware.com, monitoring technology that allows you to monitor any pc from anywhere. bitlogic.co.uk

buyersport.com

chatminder.com

chatnanny.com

computercopinfo.com

computer-spy-programs.com cyber.law.harvard.edu/people/edelman/ads/gator

eblaster.com

icann.org

kansmen.com

keylogger.com

lavasoftusa.com, spyware-removal programs.

matewatcher.com

microsys.com

modemspy.com, this software will record all your phone calls and keep a record of them.

pcpitstop.com/gator

pearlsw.com, 800-732-7596

pestpatrol.com

pieshop.new.net

rfc-editor.org/rfc

savemail.com

securecomputing.com

securetactics.com sentrycam.com

sequeltech.com

shopathomeselect.com

sirsearch.com

slogger.hypermart.net

smartparent.com/protect

softeyes.com

spectorpro.com

spectorsoft.com

spychecker.com

spydex.com

spywareguide.com

spywareinfo.com

surfwatch.net

uk.research.att.com/vnc

watchright.com

webhancer.com

websense.com

whenu.com

xi0.com, camera.

zemericks.com

Anti-Spyware Software

Check to see if someone is spying on your computer usage, either someone in your home, your boss or some internet busi ness that has installed adware on your computer.

adware-list-spyware.linksopen.com

aluriasoftware.com

anti-keyloggers.com

anti-spy.com

javacoolsoftware.com

lavasoft.de

lavasoft.de/software/adaware

lavasoft.nu

mcafee.com

pestpatrol.com

safernetworking.org

spybot.eon.net.au

spybot.safernetworking.de

spychecker.com

spywareinfo.com

webroot.com/wb/products/spysweeper

wilderssecurity.net/spywareguard

Chapter 9. Work and Family Guide

Working Parents Info

If you work and raise kids, especially if you're the mother, since mothers do most of the child-raising even if they wo rk, be ready for hard work, stress and a minimal amount of time for yourself but you picked this lifestyle now you have to live with it.

You'll be separate from your children a lot. While they're young, you'll have to find some manner of daycare. When they get older they'll learn to be independent.

You can't control your obligation to work so don't feel guilty about it. Raise your kids to live in the real world. Tell them you have to work to make money to pay bills.

Quantity or time together doesn't matter as much as quality which means love.You can't help being away for work but when you're home, spend time talking to your children and doing things together.

Explain to your kids that you have to go to work. Tell them when you'll'be back. Find a good caregiver.

They're crying out for attention, you're tired and stressed out when you get home from work so you have to be wary of the frustration-aggression hypothesis, the kicking-the-dog syndrome, taking your frustrations out on your kids.

Reading to your kids or singing with them is one of the best ways to communicate love rather than simply parking them in front of the TV. Emotionally connect with your children if you don't want to raise alienated brats.

Currently, only eight percent of all families in America are the traditional 1950s nuclear family, the breadwinner father and the housewife mother. Most women in families and as single parents are out there in the workforce.

If you're gone overnight, you can call them on the phone or talk to them through texting or web-cam.

When you go on business trips, send your kids postcards.

If you have to be away at work, you can call your children, leave them love letters, a CD or MP3 file with you talking, fax them, e-mail them, write out a loving though on the blackboard glued onto your fridge, buy them educational toys and books, leave things like crossword puzzles and books with them and offer to pay them $5 if they have them done the next time you see them (ask them questions or have them write an essay about the book), etc.

Try to get them involved in a constructive activity like computer, sports, reading, music, dancing, scouts, etc.

Teach your kids to take care of themselves, to be independent. Get them a pet so they'll have a companion while you're away.

Teach your children to eat cereal, make a salad and cook eggs while you're away. Cook food then teach them to warm it up in the microwave oven. You can find food books at #641 at the library.

When you get back, do special things; take them out for treats and meals, help them with homework, read a bedtime story, sing along to a folk song CD, watch TV together, give them your phone number and tell them to call you anytime they want.

Try not to miss your children's special events like birthdays, holidays, the big game, the recital, the annual parade, etc.

Don't make promises to your children that you can't keep.

Don't try to buy their love with presents. Give them love by spending time with them.

Work Issues For Families

The major family issues at work are:

Daycare.

Healthcare.

Pregnancy leave.

Maternity leave.

Paternity leave fo r fathers upon the birth of children which is widely accepted in Europe.

Time off for childcare and care of elder dependents like parents.

Medical leave.

A flexible work schedule.

Job sharing (two people sharing one job).

Compressed work week (work longer days but less overall days like 10 hours a day four days instead of eight hours five days).

Gay rights for domestic partners.

Telecommuting, working for a company at home either part-time or fulltime.

In general, there are some laws geared to help families at work but the general policy is a company by company call.

You'd think that corporations would want to offer generous family terms to their workers to keep them happy and some do but many don't so if you're wary about these things, check on the company's family policies before you start working there.

If you want to be a crusader, meet with your fellow employees, set up some demands for yourselves and present them to your management as family friendly policies that you want to see implemented.

Simply tell them a family-friendly workplace produces more motivated, happier, productive workers.

The American Bill of Rights for the Family is:

The right to a job and economic security.

The right to healthcare.

The right to child and elder care.

The right to family leave.

The right to services for the elderly.

The right to quality education.

The right to equal opportunity.

The right to equal pay for work of equal value.

The right to permanent housing.

The right to live and work in a safe and accessible environment.

Many women and men alike are ignorant of the law and what rights they have regarding many issues in the workplace like the Family and Medical Leave Act/ FMLA, enacted August 1993 which gives workers the right to take up to 12 weeks unpaid leave to take care of a newborn or a sick family member.

Most states have parental leave laws and some are more generous than the FMLA Act.

If you believe your rights at work have been violated, check your company policies and the law, get evidence by documenting the situation(s) (write down every incident immediately after it happens and get witnesses to corroborate you), go through company/ union channels first, file a grievance with both the relevant federal and state agencies, talk to an employment lawyer, call the EEOC and the 9 t0 5 helpline for general advice.

The major work-family laws are:

The Americans with Disabilities Act/ ADA

Family and Medical Leave Act/FMLA

Pregnancy Discrimination Act/ PDA

Family and Medical Leave Act/ FMLA

The Family and Medical Leave Act/ FMLA gives workers the right to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave from th eir jobs for the birth or adoption of a child or to care for a seriously ill child, spouse or parent. It also gives workers time to recover from their own serious illnesses.

If you worked at the company for at least 12 months, you are eligible for these considerations and to have full company health coverage as well as a guaranteed equivalent status job on return but it's only effective for companies with 50 or more employees and workers have to provide employers with 30 days advance notice of taking the leave.

For organizations with fewer employees, it's good business sense to give employees some consideration and work with them when they have important personal issues at home. It makes for better employees all around when you come off like a good guy.

The FMLA requires employers to continue to pay health-care during the leave as long as the employee contributes to his insurance plan while on FMLA leave.

The employer is required to provide an equivalent job when the leave ends with the same benefits as before.

There are controversies as to what is defined as a family. Some employers only honor the FMLA with direct family members while others are more liberal. If you want leave to care for anyone, if you feel they're that important to you then the employer will not stand in your way.

The law generally applies to all public sector employees and private sector employers who employ 50 or more employees for at least 20 work weeks in the current or preceding year.

Thirty four states also have family leave legislation some of which is more generous than that of the federal law so, once again, be sure to investigate.

Some states also have good laws for new mothers so check it out with your state department of labor.

The FMLA:

involves entitlement to leave;

maintenance of health benefits during leave;

job restoration after leave;

set requirement for notice and certification of the need for FMLA leave;

and protects employees who request FMLA leave.

The reasons you can get up to 12 work weeks of unpaid, job protected leave a year are;

Birth and care of child.

Adoption and care of child.

Care for an immediate family member with a serious health condition.

Serious health condition of employee with appropriate certification from doctor.

This leave may be intermittent meaning that, for example, an employee may leave to care for a health member for a week here, a week there provided the employer agrees to it.

dol.gov/esa/programs/whd/state/fmla

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/family_and_medical_leave_act_of_1993

wrightslaw.com, FMLA Leave Checklist.

fmlaonline.com

Public Information Office

Employment Standards Administration

U.S. Department of Labor

Washington, Dc 20210

800-959-Fmla

800-326-2577, Tdd.

dol.gov/dol/esa/fmla

dol.gov/esa/whd/opinion/fmla.htm

dol.gov/dol/esa/public/regs/statutes/whd/fmla.htm

Request booklet Compliance Guide To The Family and Medical Leave Act.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Commission Information Line (Eeoc)

1801 L St. Nw

Washington, Dc 20507

800-669-3362

800-669-4000

eeoc.gov

Parental Leave Info

nccp.org/policy_index_29.html, National Center for Children in Poverty, State Leave Policies, Parental Leave Programs and Policies

nationalpartnership.org, National Partnership for Women and Families. A State-by-State Analysis of Parental Leave Programs.

ncsl.org/programs/employ/fmlachart.htm, National Conferences of State Legislatures. "State Family and Medical Leave Laws"

dol.gov/esa/programs/whd/state/fmla, "Federal vs. State Family and Medical Leave Laws

Sick Leave Info

nationalpartnership.org/portals/p3/library/PaidLeave/SickDays/GetWellSoon.pdf

Working With a Chronic Medical Condition

Somebody said that there are a hundred million people with a chronic illness in the United States. A lot of people cannot afford to not work.

Some want to work even while sick because it gives them a sense of inspiration and purpose.

The process is basic. Have your little cry and a few days rest then start working again. Do what you can from your bed. Use your computer, take phonecalls, send emails, etc. Some people are so cool that people they are doing business with don't know they're sick and in bed.

It's ridiculous to try to function at your old standard. You do what you can. Little by little you get stronger. You reach a new modified standard and stay there. It's good enough. It's better than doing nothing.

You should love what you do for work to start with. If you don't, you could read my book A Free Spirit's Search For Enlightenment to see that you are your true nature and that's it. Find work that releases your natural energy and you will always love what you do. Even when you're sick, you will want to do what naturally inspires you because you know this is what keeps you strong and energized.

There is no shame in modifying your workload, changing jobs within a company or starting something new if you intuitively feel it's the right thing to do.

In the past, I have delegated work to competent employees. Get somebody else to take up some slack.

It's easy to hire a virtual assistant over the internet or go on craigslist.org and hire someone to do your menial labor.

You don't have to tell people you have a medical condition unless it will be affecting your work so they will know that you will need to rest, leave early, etc.

We live in an ambitious culture hooked on getting things done quickly but that is not necessary. You can do a reasonable amount of work without pushing for your limits.

Do what's really important. Forget the minor stuff for now.

Do what you can, rest then work a little more.

If you are not tech savvy, check into email, twitter, web-conferencing, webinars, etc.

Make up your will, estate plan, etc. so you have it done and out of the way.

There are books around about working with a chrionic illness or medical condition. I found one at #362.160 or RC963 at the library.

carepages.com

chronicbabe.com

chronicillness.org.au/downloads/ciapolicy07realflexibilityintheworkforce.pdf

eeoc.gov

healthmattersatwork.org

hopecafe.com

joanfriedlander.com

job-hunt.org/chronic-illness-job-search/chronic-illness-career-planning.shtml

job-hunt.org/chronic-illness-job-search/chronic-illness-job-search.shtml

job-hunt.org/chronic-illness-job-search/new-grad-choices-chronic-illness.shtml

jobs.aol.com/articles/2010/05/19/working-with-chronic-pain/

keepworkinggirlfriend.com

keepworkinggirlfriend.com/2008/05/21/careers-jobs-and-chronic-illness/

sharecare.com/question/why-open-about-chronic-illness

stress-freelife.com/workplacestress.html

theworkathomewoman.com/tag/chronic-illness/

theworkathomewoman.com/working-at-home-while-living-with-a-chronic-illness/

webmd.com/pain-management/tc/office-ergonomics-topic-overview

well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/19/managing-chronic-illness-at-work/

workingwithchronicillness.com

Maternity Leave and Motherhood

Every state government and company has different laws regarding maternity leave. Either get a copy at work, at the local library (books about maternity leave are at #306.7 or HD6065) or at a law library. Maternity Leave is a three stage deal:

Tell your boss and preparing to leave work.

Maternity leave when you have your baby.

Going back to work (daycare, babysitting, juggling motherhood and work).

Most companies have flexible maternity leave options that are tailored on a case by case basis. Talk to your boss or the employee relations/ personnel office about six months before the baby is expected in order to work out the exact details.

You might be able to change the normal schedule to suit your needs, possibly work part-time, odd hours called flex-time or even work at home if it's computer or some kind of paper work.

Get it in writing so you'll be ready when the baby is almost due. Get ready for baby and try to make caregiving arrangements either a babysitter, relatives, grandparents, baby nurse, daycare center, friends, live-in nanny, daily nanny, center based infant daycare usually run by a charitable organization (churches, schools, hospitals, welfare organizations, corporations) or possibly daycare at work.

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 requires employers of 15 employees or more who have short-term disability policies to treat pregnancy as a disability and grant paid maternity leave for about six to eight weeks.

Generally, a company doctor determines the length of maternity leave on a case by case basis. It usually starts two weeks before delivery and continues for six to eight weeks after.

Ceaserean births are usually granted two extra weeks of leave. Although some European countries offer paternity leave to fathers, this is not currently the case in America.

Depending on the company, maternity leaves are fully paid, partially paid or not covered at all. Job protection may not be guaranteed. Although some companies don't have to offer disability leave, most do.

Find a pediatrician who has hours conducive to working mothers. Find a working mother's support group at the YWCA, church or other places like at work.

Find child information at the library, #618 (medical), #649 (child rearing) and many magazines. Make sure your husband and other close people are happy with the arrangements.

Your husband will either want you to go back to work as soon as possible because he's worried about the money situation or he's making enough such that he'll want you to stay home to become a homemaker. You have to talk it out and make a firm agreement so you both know what's going on.

Be businesslike at work with your boss in hammering out the details. Don't be selfish, sweet or too rigid. Work out a middle ground balancing your need for maternity leave to his need for a good worker who's there.

Don't go overboard talking and planning about your baby at work. Do your job professionally. That's what you're paid for. Some people may be jealous or callous to your pregnancy. Keep it as invisible as possible on the job.

Many studies have been done on child rearing and the undeniable fact is that it's not quantity of time spent with a child that counts, it's quality meaning working mothers can raise good children who love them as long as they spend honest quality time with them.

Don't feel guilty about being a working mother who puts the baby into someone else's care for part of the day. Many mothers have an identity crisis and wonder if they should work, be mothers or both. Think it through to make the best decision for yourself.

If you don't have a lot of money, the government has subsidies and programs for working mothers especially single ones living near the poverty level so make a few phone calls to the government employment office and various social service agencies to ask about them.

Get health insurance for the baby. There are private low cost options and government assistance for children's medical needs.

In order to stay legal, contact your local unemployment tax office and workman's compensation office to ask about details when hiring domestic workers for your home.

Always have a back-up for your daycare because people get sick, go out of business, etc. Don't try to be supermom. Go back to work. See how it goes. If it's too much, ask your boss if you can work part-time or partially at home.

Don't overwork yourself and get stressed out.

Try to balance work, baby, husband and time for yourself. Try to keep your love life alive. Be ready for post-partum depression when the mothering hormones in your body subside, the excitement dies down and baby becomes part of the routine.

Stay calm and become friends with your caregiver. Don't get jealous of her and compete for baby's love. She's just doing her job. Talk to her and get a feel for her. Possibly install a hidden camera to see how she's really treating the baby. Give her a raise if she deserves it. Never take her for granted.

Give her space and privacy for her own life. You have a baby for love because you want to love him or her and help them become decent human beings. Never lose sight of that through all the trials and tribulations of raising your child.

Parental leave is a catch-all phrase for granting leave for adoptive parents and any other extraneous situation a modern family might face like a very sick child or a troubled one.

Some companies will offer you unpaid leave if you ask for it.

Call 800-424-367, irs.gov, get booklet #503, Child and Dependent Care Credit and the booklet Employment Taxes for Household Employees if you have a babysitter or nanny.

Find out if your company has child care benefits in the form of medical insurance and daycare.

In some workplaces, you can have the baby with you at work.

nationalpartnership.org

nccic.acf.hhs.gov

cdinet.com/womensrights/database.html, maternity protection database.

hreoc.gov.au/sexdiscrimination/pml

ilo.org/public/english/employment/gems/eeo/la

w/sweden

washingtonpost.com/wp-

srv/inatl/longterm/woe/archives/mom, maternity leave around the world.

National Assn. for The Education of Young Children

1509 16th St. Nw

Washington, Dc 20036-1426

800-424-2460

naeyc.org

Accrediting organization for daycare centers, publications.

Adoption Benefits

adoptionfriendlyworkplace.org

Pregnancy Matters

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act/ PDA prohibits discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions in all manner of the employment process from hiring to performance to termination.

Basically, employers are legally obligated to allow a pregnant woman to work as long as she is able to do her job satisfactorily and he has to hold the job open for her to return within a reasonable amount of time.

The PDA is a U.S. Federal law barring discrimination against a woman because of pregnancy, childbirth or a related medical condition.

It applies to women who work in companies with more than 15 employees.Employers cannot refuse to hire, fire, demote or penalize anyone based on pregnancy.

It doesn't give you any specific benefits but prevents you from being discriminated against in any benefits the others get just because you're pregnant.

In practice, individual women have difficulty bringing a pregnancy discrimination case to court and winning. Many women are still harassed and unduly fired during pregnancy.

When contemplating a pregnancy, consider reviewing your state's pregnancy discrimination laws.

An employer's health insurance must be used to cover pregnancy just like with any other medical condition. If an employer provides extra benefits for other medical conditions, then pregnancy must be covered too.

atom.com/funny_videos, check out the video working during pregnancy.

medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=51386, work and pregnancy

9 To 5

National Assn. of Working Women

1430 W. Peachtree St.

#610

Atlanta, Ga 30309

404-876-1604

Fax: 404-876-1649

800-522-0925

hotline9to5@igc.org

9to5.org

Generally an advocacy group for women.

National Organization for Women's Legal Defense and Education Fund

99 Hudson St.

Nyc 10036

212-925-6635

Fax: 212-226-1066

now.org

Work and Caregiving

careerplanning. dead website, try dotdash.com/od/balancingworkandfamily/a/elder_care.htm

beingafamily.com/eldercare/

eldercare.uniontrib.com, s an diego.

eldercareadvocates.com

referenceforbusiness.com/small/di-eq/eldercare.html

river2u.com

seniorbridge.net

senioroutlook.com

workingwomenplus.com, helping adult children cope with aging parents.

Work-Family Websites

Books about work and family are at #640.43 or HD4904.25 at the library.

Books about working parents are #306.87, #64 6.70 or HQ759 and QB198.3 at the library.

moms-refuge.com, Working Moms' Internet Refuge

workingparents.com, Working Parents, links to parenting, careers

nationalpartnership.org, national partnership for women and families

hsph.harvard.edu/globalworkingfamilies

womenwork.org

awlp.org, alliance for work-life progress, awlp advances work-life effectiveness as a strategy for better integration of work, family and community.

flexibilityalliance.org, the flexibility alliance supporting flexible work for mothers, tools to help parents propose flexible schedules to their employers, online forums and resources for employers.

parentsatwork.org.uk workingmother.com

workingparents corn

familiesandwork.org

catalystwomen.org

careerjournal.com/columnists/workfamily parenting.ivillage.com/mom/workfamily/topics/

9to5.org, 800-522-0925, info about flexible work.

catalystwomen.org

childcare.ucla.edu/childcare/wpn.htm, working parents newsletter.

dol.gov/dol/wb, 800-827-5335, u.s. dept of labor, women's bureau publications.

familiesandwork.org

familiesandworkinst.org, families and work institute.

family.disney.com

mcs.net, notes from terminally ill parents.

mentor-media.com

momsonline.com

mothersandmore.org

naturalchild.com

nww.org, new ways to work.

parentsoup.com

positiveparenting.com

wahm.com, work at home moms.

workfamily.com

9 To 5

National Assn. of Working Women

1430 W. Peachtree St.

#610

Atlanta, Ga 30309

404-876-1604

Fax: 404-876-1649

800-522-0925

hotline9to5@igc.org

9to5.org

Assn. of Part-Time Professionals

7700 Leesburg Pike

#216

Falls Church, Va 22043

703-734-7975

Flexible work resources.

Conference Board

Work and Family Information Center

845 3rd Ave.

Nyc 10022

212-759-0900

conference-board.org

Earned Income Tax Credit/Eitc

800-829-1040

irs.gov

If you earn less than a certain amount and have children under 19 living at home, you get a tax break.

Family and Work Institute

330 7th Ave.

14th Fl.

Nyc 10001

212-465-2044

familiesandworkinst.org

Family Resource Coalition

200 S. Michigan Ave.

#1250

Chicago, Il 60604

312-341-0900

Family resource work publications.

Family Service America

11700 W. Lake Park Dr.

Park Pl.

Milwaukee, Wi 53224

414-359-1040

Helps people find work.

Hispanic Advocacy and Resource Center

2488 Grand Concourse

#413

Nyc 10459

212-733-1200

Parenting Publications

For more magazine selections, ask for a Periodical Directory at your local library.

americanbaby.com, 800-525-0643, several parenting mags.

athomemothers.com

atlantaparent.com

babytalk.com

bayareaparent.com

bigappleparents.com

birthgazette.com

chicagoparent.com

child.com

childmag.com

compleatmother.com

delawarefamily.com

enews.com/magazines

epregnancy.com

family.com

family.go.com

familypc.com

fitpregnancy.com

healthykids.com

homearts.com

informedparent.com

laparent.com. los angeles.

lipn.com, long island parent.

metrokids.com

mothering.com

newmoon.org, parents of preteen girls.

nwfamily.com, northwest.

nyfamily.com

osv.com, catholic.

owl.on.ca, canadian children's magazines.

parentinginsights.com

parents.com

positiveparenting.com

sandiegofamily.com

smartkid.com

todaysparent.com

tuesdayschild.com, parenting a child with disabilities.

twinsmagazine.com

vegetarianbaby.com

westrernnewyork.com

womweb.com

Compleat Mother:

Pregnancy, Birth and Breastfeeding

720 4th Ave. Nw

#209

Minot, Nd 58703

701-852-2822

compleatmother.com

Chapter 10. An Employment Law Website Guide at feedspot.com

A List of Employment Law Blogs and Websites at blog.feedspot.com/employment_blogs

aalrr.com/Labor-Employment-Law-Blog

akeelvalentine.com/blog

allenovery.com/en-gb/global/blogs/employment_talk?pageSize=7

amglaw.com/blog

atlantaemploymentattorneysblog.com

barryfisher.ca/employmentlawblog

blog.firstreference.com

blogs.dlapiper.com/employmentgermany

blogs.orrick.com/employment

bowriveremploymentlaw.com/blog

bsk.com/new-york-labor-and-employment-law-report

btlaw.com/en/insights/blog/currents

californiaemploymentlaw.foxrothschild.com

calpeculiarities.com

calpublicagencylaboremploymentblog.com

capclaw.com/blog

constangy.com/employment-labor-insider

crippspg.co.uk/blog/employment

ctemploymentlawblog.com

dcemploymentattorney.com/resources/blog

duttonlaw.ca/blog

eclaw.com/blog

employeeatty.blogspot.com

employmentattorneyla.com/blog

employmentattorneymd.com/employment-law-blog

employmentblog.practicallaw.com

employmentlawblog.info

employmentlawhandbook.com/blog

employmentlawlandscape.com

employmentlawworldview.com

fedemploymentlaw.com/blog

felhaber.com/home/mn-employment-law-report

firstaff.ie/blog

genovaburns.com/publications/labor-law

globalworkplaceinsider.com

greensfelder.com/employment-and-labor-blog

hrlegalist.com

hsfnotes.com/employment

klielaw.com/blog

krevskybowser.com/blog

laborandemploymentlawcounsel.com

laborandemploymentlawupdate.com

laboremploymentlawblog.com

laboremploymentreport.com

labourandemploymentlaw.com

lawandtheworkplace.com

lawfficespace.com

lawgrady.com/blog

lawsonlundell.com/labour-and-employment-law-blog

lawyersforemployers.com.au/articles

leckerslaw.com/blog

lipskylowe.com/blog

minkenemploymentlawyers.com/category/blog

njemploymentlawfirmblog.com

ocalaemploymentlawyer.com/blog

ohioemployerlawblog.com

ottawaemploymentlaw.com

overholtlawyers.com/blog

polsinelliatwork.com

sanantonioemploymentlawblog.com

sandbergphoenix.com/perspectives/blogs/employer-law-blog

scemployersblog.com

shawlawgroup.com/blog

spigglelaw.com/employment-blog

tglaw.com.au/employment-blog

thelelawblog.com

toronto-employmentlawyer.com/blog

vigilant.org/employment-law-blog

washingtonlaborandemploymentblog.com

wongemploymentlaw.com/blog

workforcebulletin.com

workplacelegalpc.com/blog

workplacereport.ancelglink.com

wyattfirm.com/blogs/category/employment-law-report

zatlaw.com/blog

A List of Employment and Employment Law Newsfeeds at blog.feedspot.com/employment_rss_feeds

aalrr.com/Labor-Employment-Law-Blog

aalrr.com/Labor-Employment-Law-Blog?rss

akeelvalentine.com/feed

akeelvalentine.com/blog

allenovery.com/en-gb/global/blogs/employment_talk?pageSize=7

amglaw.com/blog

amglaw.com/feed

atlantaemploymentattorneysblog.com/feed

atlantaemploymentattorneysblog.com

blog.feedspot.com/employment_rss_feeds

blog.firstreference.com/feed

blog.firstreference.com

blogs.dlapiper.com/employmentgermany

blogs.orrick.com/employment

blogs.orrick.com/employment/feed

bowriveremploymentlaw.com/blog

bowriveremploymentlaw.com/feed

bsk.com/new-york-labor-and-employment-law-report

btlaw.com/en/insights/blog/currents

californiaemploymentlaw.foxrothschild.com

calpeculiarities.com

calpeculiarities.com/feed

calpublicagencylaboremploymentblog.com/feed

calpublicagencylaboremploymentblog.com

capclaw.com/feed

capclaw.com/blog

constangy.com/employment-labor-insider

constangy.com/employment-labor-insider?rss

crippspg.co.uk/blog/employment

ctemploymentlawblog.com/feed

ctemploymentlawblog.com

dcemploymentattorney.com/feed

dcemploymentattorney.com/resources/blog

duttonlaw.ca/blog

duttonlaw.ca/blog/feed

eclaw.com/blog

eclaw.com/blog/feed

employeeatty.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default?alt=rss

employeeatty.blogspot.com

employmentattorneyla.com/blog

employmentattorneymd.com/feed

employmentattorneymd.com/employment-law-blog

employmentlawblog.info/feed/atom

employmentlawblog.info

employmentlawhandbook.com/feed

employmentlawhandbook.com/blog

employmentlawlandscape.com/feed

employmentlawlandscape.com

employmentlawworldview.com/feed

employmentlawworldview.com

fedemploymentlaw.com/feed/atom

fedemploymentlaw.com/blog

felhaber.com/home/mn-employment-law-report

felhaber.com/feed

firstaff.ie/blog

firstaff.ie/feed

genovaburns.com/publications/labor-law

globalworkplaceinsider.com/feed

globalworkplaceinsider.com

greensfelder.com/employment-and-labor-blog?rss

greensfelder.com/employment-and-labor-blog

hrlegalist.com/feed

hrlegalist.com

hsfnotes.com/employment

hsfnotes.com/employment/feed

klielaw.com/blog

klielaw.com/feed

krevskybowser.com/feed

krevskybowser.com/blog

laborandemploymentlawcounsel.com/feed

laborandemploymentlawupdate.com

laborandemploymentlawupdate.com/feed

laboremploymentlawblog.com

laboremploymentreport.com

laboremploymentreport.com/feed

labourandemploymentlaw.com/feed

labourandemploymentlaw.com

lawandtheworkplace.com

lawandtheworkplace.com/feed

lawfficespace.com

lawgrady.com/blog

lawgrady.com/feed/atom

lawsonlundell.com/labour-and-employment-law-blog

lawsonlundell.com/labour-and-employment-law-blog/?rss

lawyersforemployers.com.au/feed

lawyersforemployers.com.au/articles

leckerslaw.com/blog

leckerslaw.com/blog/feed

lipskylowe.com/blog

lipskylowe.com/feed

minkenemploymentlawyers.com/category/blog

njemploymentlawfirmblog.com

njemploymentlawfirmblog.com/feed

ocalaemploymentlawyer.com/blog

ocalaemploymentlawyer.com/blog/feed

ohioemployerlawblog.com

overholtlawyers.com/feed

overholtlawyers.com/blog

polsinelliatwork.com

polsinelliatwork.com/blog?format=RSS

sanantonioemploymentlawblog.com/feed

sanantonioemploymentlawblog.com

sandbergphoenix.com/perspectives/blogs/employer-law-blog/feed

sandbergphoenix.com/perspectives/blogs/employer-law-blog

scemployersblog.com

shawlawgroup.com/feed

shawlawgroup.com/blog

spigglelaw.com/feed

spigglelaw.com/employment-blog

tglaw.com.au/employment-blog

tglaw.com.au/employment-blog/feed

thelelawblog.com

thelelawblog.com/feed

toronto-employmentlawyer.com/feed

toronto-employmentlawyer.com/blog

vigilant.org/employment-law-blog

vigilant.org/employment-law-blog/rss

wongemploymentlaw.com/blog?format=rss

wongemploymentlaw.com/blog

workforcebulletin.com

workforcebulletin.com/feed

workplacelegalpc.com/feed

workplacelegalpc.com/blog

wyattfirm.com/blogs/category/employment-law-report/feed

wyattfirm.com/blogs/category/employment-law-report

zatlaw.com/blog

A List of Employment Law News Websites at feedspot.com/news/employment_law

constangy.com/employment-labor-insider

Thomas Reuters, Practical Law Employment Blog

employmentblog.practicallaw.com

Employment and Labor Insider Blog

employmentandlaborinsider.com

Herbert Smith Freehills Employment notes

hsfnotes.com

The Sheppard Mullin Labor and Employment Law Blog

laboremploymentlawblog.com

Employment Law Worldview

employmentlawworldview.com

Fox Rothschild LLP, California Employment Law

californiaemploymentlaw.foxrothschild.com

Employment Law

blog.firstreference.com

publisher of Canadian payroll, employment law

Dutton Toronto Employment Law Firm

duttonlaw.ca

Employment Law Handbook Blog

employmentlawhandbook.com

Barnes and Thornburg, Employment Law Blog

btlaw.com

Thomson Geer Lawyers Employment Blog

tglaw.com.au

The Spiggle Law Firm, Employment Blog

spigglelaw.com

Minken Employment Lawyers, Toronto Employment Blog

minkenemploymentlawyers.com

Proskauer's Law and the Workplace Blog

lawandtheworkplace.com

Workforce Bulletin, Insights on Labor and Employment Law

hospitalitylaboremploymentlawblog.com

Norton Rose Fulbright Law Firm, Global Workplace Insider

globalworkplaceinsider.com

Daniel Schwartz, Connecticut Employment Law Blog

ctemploymentlawblog.com

HR Legalist, Labor Relations

hrlegalist.com

lawyersforemployers.com.au

A List of Labor Law Websites at blog.feedspot.com/labor_law_blogs

archeremploymentlaw.com

bdlfirm.com/category/labor-and-employment-law-blog

blog.feedspot.com/employment_blogs

bostonlawyerblog.com/category/employment-law

bsk.com/new-york-labor-and-employment-law-report

californiaemploymentlaw.foxrothschild.com

calpublicagencylaboremploymentblog.com/category/wage-and-hour-2

constangy.com/employment-labor-insider

denverlaborlaw.com/colorado-employment-law-blog

employmentlawwatch.com

fedemploymentlaw.com/blog

foley.com/en/insights/blogs/labor-employment-law-perspectives

genovaburns.com/publications/labor-law

healthemploymentandlabor.com

hospitalitylaboremploymentlawblog.com

laborandemploymentlawupdate.com

laboremploymentlawblog.com

labourandemploymentlaw.com

labourlawbox.blogspot.com

lawandtheworkplace.com

lawblogs.ca/category/labour-employment

lexblog.com/site/labor-employment-law-blog

louisianalawblog.com/category/labor-and-employment-law

michlaborlaw.com

palaborandemploymentblog.com

retaillaborandemploymentlaw.com

stoelrivesworldofemployment.com

swlaw.com/blog/labor-and-employment

thelelawblog.com

thenjemploymentlawfirmblog.com/category/new-jersey-labor-law

uaelabours.blogspot.com

wyattemployment.com/category/uncategorized/labor-law

blog.feedspot.com/labor_law_rss_feeds

A List of Labor Law Websites at blog.feedspot.com/labor_law_blogs

archeremploymentlaw.com

bdlfirm.com/category/labor-and-employment-law-blog

bostonlawyerblog.com/category/employment-law

bsk.com/new-york-labor-and-employment-law-report

californiaemploymentlaw.foxrothschild.com

calpublicagencylaboremploymentblog.com/category/wage-and-hour-2

constangy.com/employment-labor-insider

denverlaborlaw.com/colorado-employment-law-blog

employmentlawwatch.com

fedemploymentlaw.com/blog

foley.com/en/insights/blogs/labor-employment-law-perspectives

genovaburns.com/publications/labor-law

healthemploymentandlabor.com

hospitalitylaboremploymentlawblog.com

laborandemploymentlawupdate.com

laboremploymentlawblog.com

labourandemploymentlaw.com

labourlawbox.blogspot.com

lawandtheworkplace.com

lawblogs.ca/category/labour-employment

lexblog.com/site/labor-employment-law-blog

louisianalawblog.com/category/labor-and-employment-law

michlaborlaw.com

palaborandemploymentblog.com

retaillaborandemploymentlaw.com

stoelrivesworldofemployment.com

swlaw.com/blog/labor-and-employment

thelelawblog.com

thenjemploymentlawfirmblog.com/category/new-jersey-labor-law

uaelabours.blogspot.com

wyattemployment.com/category/uncategorized/labor-law

blog.feedspot.com/labor_law_rss_feeds

Friday 28 January 2022

EMPLOYMENT LAW AND EMPLOYMENT ISSUES THAT COULD END UP LEGAL MATTERS

Chapter 1. Employment Law Guide

Chapter 2. Privacy Issues at Work

Chapter 10. An Employment Law Website Guide at feedspot.com

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