Every workplace has them: Those bad-apple employees who spoil the whole barrel. Like their edible counterparts, bad-apple employees come in several different varieties: Grousing Gracie : Her co-workers are out to get her. The boss is mean. She has way more work to do than she could ever be expected to...

By CED Editor Stephen D. Bruce, PHR "Managers and supervisors will instantly call the help desk when they have a computer problem,” says Paul Falcone, "but they are reluctant to ask for help when they face a tough conversation with an employee." Unfortunately, the path of least resistance...

Here comes summer: The worst time of the year for dress code violations. Today we'll take a look at what you can and can't do with dress code and appearance policies. Can dress codes be different for male and female employees? Most of the legal problems relating to dress codes have centered on...

We're in the process of rewriting our employee handbook, and we want to modify our employee appearance policy. What do we need to consider? We want our employees to look professional, but we don't want to get caught in a lawsuit. — Ronald W., San Jose Employers commonly create dress codes...

It's been a hot summer here in California—and in many workplaces, the rise in temperature has ushered in a rise in inappropriately dressed or scantily clad employees, which can lead to flirtatious behavior and even to a general decline in productivity and office professionalism. What can you...

Is it legal to have a dress code that prohibits employees from wearing religious icons such as cross necklaces? When an employee's religious expression conflicts with his or her job duties, you cannot prohibit the expression unless you have considered reasonable accommodations and found that the...

We have a retail establishment with several branches, and as part of the branding of the stores we want all of our salespeople to wear the same look—khaki pants and a long-sleeved, button-down blue shirt with white pinstripes. Someone told me that requiring a "look" is the same as requiring...

We're in the process of rewriting our employee handbook, and we want to modify our employee appearance policy. What do we need to consider? We want our employees to look professional, but we don't want to get caught in a lawsuit. — Ronald W., San Jose 400+ pages of state-specific, easy...

Our dress code says females working in the office cannot wear pants. One of our ladies says that in California, women have a "right to wear pants." Is this true? 400+ pages of state-specific, easy-read reference materials at your fingertips—fully updated! Check out the Guide to Employment...

Some of our male employees—our salesmen—have been coming in looking very shaggy, and we've even gotten a few customer complaints. We'd like to implement a policy that men have to keep their hair at collar length or shorter. Any problems with this? — Frustrated HR Manager in...

Last year, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers California, ruled in favor of an employer that was accused of sex discrimination for requiring female employees only to wear makeup on the job (see the Feb. 2005 issue of the California Employer Advisor ). The Ninth Circuit...

Fashion retailer Polo Ralph Lauren has agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit charging that the company violated California law by requiring employees to buy and wear Polo Ralph Lauren clothes on the job or face disciplinary action. The settlement consists of $1 million in cash and...

Several employee groups—firefighters, sheriffs, police officers, guards, and forest rangers—filed class action suits against their public-sector employers in California, charging that they weren’t fully compensated for the costs of purchasing, replacing, cleaning, and maintaining required...

Private employers in California are required by law to pay for their workers' uniforms. But a new ruling from a California appeals court says state and local government employers are generally off the hook for uniform reimbursement. The appeals court rejected class-action challenges brought against...

Recently, several big-name clothing retailers—including Polo Ralph Lauren, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Chicos—have been hit with charges that policies requiring employees to buy and wear the retailers' own clothes violate California's wage-and-hour rules stating that employers must...

Chico's FAS is defending itself against a lawsuit brought by a former employee who claims she was required to purchase Chico clothing while working for the retailer. Chico's says it merely encourages employees to wear its clothing, providing them with discounts on their purchases. This is just...

Current and former employees of Polo Ralph Lauren have filed suit in San Francisco against the fashion retailer. Their claim? That the employer violated state wage and hour rules by requiring them to spend thousands of dollars a year on the company's clothing to wear on the job. The lawsuit is causing...

An apartment leasing agent for Los Angeles-based real estate management company Oakwood Worldwide filed a discrimination suit after being fired for allegedly refusing to remove a tongue stud. Mary Haudenshield claimed the stud was not visible and did not violate the company's dress code. Oakwood...