Blog


Not All Charities Are Very Charitable

Estate Planning and Probate

Last week the Tampa Bay Times, Center for Investigative Reporting and CNN released a report on America’s Worst Charities. While the fraud and abuse uncovered is disturbing, the report provides a stark reminder of the importance of performing due diligence prior to making a charitable donation or bequest and properly identifying charities in your estate planning documents.


Karen Kalzer

White House Issues First Guidelines For Developing Emergency Operations Plans for Houses of Worship

Religion

Yesterday the White House issued the first guidelines to assist houses of worship in developing plans to deal with emergency violence situations. The report can be accessed here: FEMA Guidelines. Six federal agencies contributed to the formulation of these guidelines. Although we would like to think violence in our houses of worship is still unthinkable, […]


Karen Kalzer

EEOC Issues Specific ADA Compliance Guidance

Employment

Both employers and employees often have questions as to how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) deals with everyday workplace situations. The EEOC recently issued guidelines as to four specific areas of disability that are frequently the subject of inquiry.


Karen Kalzer

Fifth Circuit Rules in Favor of the EEOC on Lactation

Employment

The Fifth Circuit recently ruled in the EEOC’s favor by determining that “lactation” (not necessarily breastfeeding) is a condition of pregnancy, and thus prevents employers from taking adverse action against a female employee because she is lactating. See EEOC v. Houston Funding II LLC, (No. 12-20220).


Karen Kalzer

The Wave of Family Responsibility Discrimination (FRD) Claims Continues to Rise

Employment

The wave of Family Responsibility Discrimination (FRD) claims continues to rise. FRD is a descriptive title for lawsuits that allege discrimination against workers who have caregiving responsibilities for children or older family member. While there is no single FRD statute, it refers to the complex web of potential claims under Title VII, FMLA, ADA and other protective statutes.