Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n Roll

Welcome! You don't need to be a child of the sixty's to have heard the term "sex, drugs and rock 'n roll." Just the saying conjures up memories. Or, maybe, it doesn't. That could be the symptom of too much "sex, drugs and rock 'n roll!"

Most people don't think of their workplace when they think of "sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll." Well, my plan is to change all of that. My newest series of Employer HelpCasts is all about how knowing about those three topics is vital to your operations. If you haven't visited them yet, you can listen to and download my Employer HelpCasts at http://employerhelpcast.blip.tv.

In the first of this three part series, "sex," I address the topic of sexual harassment in the workplace. All employers are required to provide all employees with a harassment-free workplace. It only makes sense. Employees that aren't being harassed are happier and more productive. Happier and more productived employees are better for your business. But, while most people have an idea of what sexual harassment is, there is a lot of stuff that happens at the workplace that could be sexual harassment, that people don't necessarily think is sexual harassment. What about repeating a joke you heard on Leno? Listening to Howard Stern on the radio? Having rap music on the radio in a lunchroom? How about sharing a friendly hug or easing the tension in someone's shoulders with a brief massage? While there are no "hard and fast" rules as to what conduct is sexual harassment, knowing that any conduct that can be perceived as sexual harassment may create a sexually hostile work environment is vital to every employer's operations. In this HelpCast, I go into some examples, and explain how employers can provide their employees with a harassment-free workplace, and at the same time shield themselves from liability for any such claims.

In the second of this series, "drugs," I will address issues of drug and alcohol use and testing in the workplace. California, where my office is, has strict rules regarding when applicants for employment and employees can be tested for drug and alcohol use. California's Constitution provides all individuals with an express "right to privacy," which prevents employers from conducting drug and alcohol testing except under certain circumstances. Other states, where my firm, Ford & Harrison LLP (www.fordharrison.com), has offices, have other legal requirements. In this HelpCast, I will address drug and alcohol workplace issues and laws, testing, and various requirements to accommodate employees with drug and alcohol problems. Additionally, I will discuss the current state of the law in California regarding the medical use of marijuana, and how that impacts your rights as an employer.

In the third HelpCast of this series, "rock 'n roll," I discuss a topic near and dear to most Californian's hearts - earthquakes! More to the point, this HelpCast will address disaster preparedness in the workplace, and what employers should do to make sure that their employees are prepared in the event of a natural disaster while in the workplace, and how to protect business operations if there is such a disaster.

I hope you enjoy this blog and these HelpCasts. If you would like to discuss these or any other employment-related topics, or maybe suggest a topic for a future blog or HelpCast, please either leave a comment here, send me an email at hwasserman@fordharrison.com, or call me at (213) 237-2403. And, of course, if you want to find out more about who I am and what I do, please visit the interview produced by Peter Brusso at infocard.cc (www.infocard.cc) which can be found at the EmployerHelpCast at http://employerhelpcast.blip.tv.

Thanks!