http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers-search/employee-benefits.html Avvo.com - Employee Benefits Questions http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/my-status-was-changed-from-full-time-to-part-time--166580.html I work in the health care industry and was hired as full time with benefits. According to their handbook FT is 32-40 hrs/wk. Three months ago, due to low caseload, they changed my status to part time w/o benefits. They cancelled my insurance and reduced my PTO time to part time status. During the last 3 months, I have worked 32-37 hrs./week except for the 1st two weeks when I worked just 18 hrs/week. I have requested 3 times to have my status changed so I can reinstate my benefits and receive the PTO that I'm due. My employer has denied the change in status. What rights do I have as an employee? Can they do this? Thank you for your advice. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:31:53 PST http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/why-would-an-employer-appeal-unemployment-benefits-166461.html I'm wondering why an employer would care or not if an employee recieved Unemployment benefits. Why would they appeal? I thought the employer did not pay the benefits and that the benefits came from the state the employer pays into his insurance? Future law student. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:32:06 PST http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/change-in-life-insurance-166145.html My partner upped her employer sponsored life insurance policy during open enrollment and in the period when no "proof of insurability" was required. She paid the additional premium and passed 2 months later. Does the insurance company have to honor the increased value? Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:02:10 PST http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/can-i-collect-unemployment-benefits-after-quitting-165975.html Shop foreman constantly wattching me belittling me in front of fellow employees tried to physically fight me and threatened to shoot me with his gun in his vehicle on two seperate occasions Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:25:50 PST http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/forced-leave-of-absence--employer-did-not-inform-m-165761.html My employer pays managers sick pay without any formula for how much sick pay managers have, therefore as a manager I was expecting sick pay the entire time I was out. My employer does not have a policy for accumulating/tracking/limiting managers sick pay individually. My doctor supplied my employer documentation medically excusing me. I had pneumonia. Unbeknownst to me, my employer's HR manager took me off sick pay after the first week and then placed me on an unpaid leave of absence, and dated it starting the 2nd shift missed. They paid me 5 sick days out of 18 shifts. They never informed me. Furthermore, this is not the first time the HR manager has mettled with my paid days off. Is this legal? Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:15:19 PST http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/can-an-employer-deny-your-return-to-work-after-fml-165708.html I'm off on fmla for masectomy surgery, my dr. released me to go back to work, but my employer wants me to wait a week, I will need to use futher time on my fmla for chemo treatments, doctor appointments etc. I am worried that if I don't go back now, that I may go over my allowed 12 weeks later. Can my employer deny my return for another week even if my dr. approved a sooner return time? Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:18:01 PST http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/is-it-legal-for-employer-to-deduct-employees--sale-165544.html One of the new account I brought in has a $100,000 bad debt. My boss has held up my 2009 Jan - up to date commission to cover part of the company lost. Is this legal? Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:29:09 PST http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/we-are-sure-our-employer-is-violating-many-employm-165496.html My former company blatantly disregards employment laws. They do not provide ten minute breaks for their employees who work over four hours. In fact, many of their employees (including myself) are forced to work by themselves for three to five hours each day, and are not allowed to leave the store even to use the restroom during this time. Our employer also does not issue final pay according to the law. Instead, they claim they have 72 hours to pay us, even when we have given two week notices. I worked for a year thirty eight to forty fours every week and they refused to reclassify me as a full-time employee and increase my pay and benefits accordingly. We have been forced to "voluntarily" waive lunches on five to six hour shifts, without signing any waivers. The list goes on. Help anyone? Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:22:27 PST http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/am-i-guaranteed-the-same-rate-of-pay-upon-return-f-165301.html I was placed on a light duty contract prior to surgery and FMLA. The contract stipulated the exact duties, hours and pay rate, which was the same pay rate as before light duty, with the exception it was placed on hourly instead of salary. Upon my return from surgery and FMLA I was informed that I would be placed in the office doing about the same duties as the contract stipulated, but my pay rate would be dropped. The contract that i was forced to sign prior to the surgery covered my return from surgery also. The regional manager refused to give me a copy of this contract stating he was not allowed to give it to me. Do I have the right to receive the same pay rate as prior to the FMLA and surgery? Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:10:43 PST http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/am-i-gaurenteed-the-same-rate-fo-pay-upon-return-f-165300.html I was placed on a light duty contract prior to ssurgery and FMLA. The contract stipulated the exact duties, hours and pay rate, whcih was the same pay rate as before light duty, with the exception it was placed on hourly instead of salary. Upon my return from surgery and FMLA I was informed that I would be placed in the office doing about the same duties as the contract stipulated, but my pay rate would be dropped. The contract that i was forced to sign prior to the surgery covered my return from surgery also. The regional manager refused to give me a copy of this contract stating he was not allowed to give it to me. Do I have the right to recieve the same pay rate as prior to the FMLA and surgery? Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:07:17 PST