How to Avoid the CBS Evening News The next question is what can employers do to protect their employees or to avoid being in the headlines for the CBS Evening News? Employees should have zero tolerance policy towards workplace violence against or by employees, whether the violence originates inside or outside the workplace. Employers should establish a workplace violence prevention…
Background According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”), approximately 2 million American workers are victims of workplace violence each year. See www.osha.gov. In 2008, homicide was the third leading cause of fatal occupational injury in the U.S. and the second leading cause of death for females in the workplace. See Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census of Fatal Occupational…
Indiana’s “Take Your Gun to Work” statute, codified at Ind. Cod §34-28-7, prohibits any person (meaning natural person or organization) from adopting and enforcing an ordinance, resolution, policy or rule that prohibits or has the effect of prohibiting an employee, including a contract employee, from possessing a firearm or ammunition locked in the employee’s vehicle out of sight at…
In July of 2009, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) issued guidelines on employee severance agreements titled “Understanding Waivers of Discrimination Claims in Employee Severance Agreements.” Frequently, employers offer departing employees money or benefits in exchange for waiving liability for all future claims connected with the prior employment relationship, likely including discrimination claims as well as claims brought under…
In a case of interest to Indiana business lawyers, Abdalla v. Qadorh-Zidan, the Indiana Court of Appeals addressed issues relating to corporate and limited liability company (“LLC”) fiduciary duties owed to former shareholders and members with respect to preparation of tax returns for time periods prior to members and shareholders’ relationship being terminated. In this case, the Court held that…
Indiana farm business owners and Indiana lawyers should be aware that the Indiana Court of Appeals recently held that a farmer’s mycelium drying business constituted a nuisance.1 In Bonewitz, the farmer’s neighbors complained that the mycelium drying business caused foul odors, noise and vibrations from delivery trucks, sawdust particles blowing onto their property, and gas and sawdust ash emissions from…
Lenders who take possession of collateral based on a default on a loan are often concerned about ensuring that the sale of such collateral would be found to be commercially reasonable by a court if challenged. Of interest to Indiana creditors and Indiana creditor lawyers, the Indiana Court of Appeals recently had the opportunity to address commercially reasonable sales in…
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Department of the Treasury have promulgated final regulations impacting tax-exempt organizations with gross annual receipts that generally do not exceed $25,000. The final regulations, and removal of temporary regulations, became effective July 23, 2009. The regulations are applicable to annual periods beginning after 2006. In 2006, the Pension Protection Act was passed, including a…
Have you been approached by a wind energy company soliciting your land for inclusion in a new wind farm proposed for the area. If you have, the promised compensation may look good for the fairly small acreage committed for the structures and related equipment. You may have been given a draft agreement for review and execution. It will likely be…
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Department of the Treasury have promulgated final regulations impacting tax-exempt organizations with gross annual receipts that generally do not exceed $25,000. The final regulations became effective July 23, 2009. The regulations are applicable to annual filing periods beginning after 2006. In 2006, the Pension Protection Act was passed, including a requirement that the Treasury…