Readers have been clamoring for my take on the alcoholism-discrimination lawsuit filed by Steve Sarkisian against the University of Southern California.

Actually, I got one email from a reader, who had a better take on the whole situation than I do.

But who cares! I still think it's a great topic, and a case worth following!

Here's the deal, as I understand it:

Mr ...

UPDATE (Dec. 7, 2015): The EEOC has extended the comment period on its proposed GINA-wellness rule by 30 days. The new comment deadline is January 28, 2016.

Earlier this month, I had a relatively short post on the proposed rule on wellness incentives and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. I also promised a more ...

Last week, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued a proposed rule on employer wellness programs and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. In April, the EEOC issued a proposed rule on employer wellness programs and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Here are six quick takes on the GINA proposal.

No. 1. It's all about the spouse. The GINA proposal focuses ...

Yesterday, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued a proposed rule on wellness programs and the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act. Here is the proposed rule, and here is the EEOC's press release. A few months ago, the agency issued a proposed rule on wellness programs and the Americans with Disabilities Act, which I discussed here.

According to the EEOC press ...

If you have a poor performer, is it better to make a clean break and fire him, or is it better to prolong his (and your) agony?

That is obviously a biased question, but some employers will do almost anything to avoid firing an employee, including the following:

• Nothing
• Issue 8 bazillion warnings but never act on them
• Offer a demotion, or a transfer to a less demanding job
• Let the employee ...

Dear Americans with Disabilities Act,

How time flies -- you're already 25 years old! I have seen many lovely tributes to you this week, and a couple of my favorites are here and here. I hope you don't mind one more from me.

When President George H.W. Bush signed you into law in 1990, I had been practicing employment law for less than two years, so I feel like you and I grew up together.

I ...

The following is a scatological post, so grab a stool, have a seat, and listen up! (Or get a magazine.)

On Monday, a federal jury in Atlanta awarded two hourly warehouse workers $2.2 million in a lawsuit brought under the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act.

The controversy started when Atlas Logistics Group Retail Services, a grocery distributor, had a problem with ...

Law360 just reported that the EEOC has issued its long-awaited proposed rule on wellness programs and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The official version will be published Monday in the Federal Register.

I am out today and tomorrow to present some seminars, but I will have a full post on this as soon as I've had a chance to review. Meanwhile, here is a sneak peek of the proposed ...

Last October, I posted about a consent decree entered into between Wal-Mart and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, in which Wal-Mart agreed to pay $72,500 to candidate for a store job in Maryland whose offer was withdrawn because she couldn’t undergo a urine test for drugs.

The candidate had end-stage renal disease.

Now, Kmart has been hit, too, in a case involving almost ...

You're an employer who tries to do the right thing. But what hidden traps are out there, waiting to grab your ankle and yank you into a lawsuit? Here are a few that cause trouble for even the best employers:

Trap No. 5: Capturing all time worked for your non-exempt employees. We get so accustomed to exempt employees who answer emails at all hours and handle business while driving to and from ...