FMLA Violations by employer?
Let's look at your issues one by one. 1) I informed my employer of my need for the flex day for medical reasons and it was ignored Did a doctor say you needed this? Even if they did it might not be considered a "reasonable accommodation" under ADA. 2) My time off work was charged to FMLA with out my approval Had they not have charged it to FMLA they probably could have fired you for it. 3) It is stated, in our policy, if FMLA is used I must be certified by my doctor by having a certification form completed. I was not made aware of this. This is not only in the policy but also in the law. If the policy was available to you they are under no obligation to give you any more notice. 4) My employer sent me a letter stating all my doctor has to do is answer a few questions. They did not provide me the form my doctor was to complete certifying I qualify for FMLA. The certification form was never given. Did you ask for it? 5) It is stated, in our policy, if FMLA is used the employer must notify me and let me know what FMLA leave is available and my rights under FMLA. This never happened. This maybe an error on their part. But I'd be willing to bet but you have some responsibility to ask for the information. 6) By my employer not informing me of the policy of FMLA I did not know I would have to pay my insurance after my FMLA expired. It in the law that they don't have to pay for it and is posted on the FMLA poster that is with all of the other required posters. 7) There are no posters with information on FMLA. Violation. But look harder. 8) I was given a reasonable accommodation form to complete for which I sent an email to my employer to address certain issues. It was never explained this form must be completed by my doctor. Why in God's name would you think that it would be completed by anyone other than your doctor?
How much time should you give your employer before leaving a job?
As others note, in the US, the standard is two weeks, but this is not a formal rule, it’s just polite. Pirx Zachariasz Bem is largely correct about US employment: it’s almost always at-will, which means you can be terminated without cause at any moment. There are some restrictions on layoffs at large employments, and some employees do have contracts (particularly union members, but few people in the US are unionized).When I decided to return to school for my PhD, I accepted a spot sometime in April. I didn’t tell my employer until June. First, they could have terminated me on the spot, and of course I couldn’t get another job and really needed the money (and health insurance!). Second, what if I changed my mind? It seemed unlikely, but possible. It is not reasonable to expect an employee to give up an information advantage, when employers use such advantages all of the time. That said, your leaving will have practical impact on others. If your company doesn’t have a bad history, it’s perfectly reasonable to give two weeks.
Why would a potential employer give me about $100 after an interview?
I have interviewed a few hundred people for employment, and never once offered them money. So I agree, it's weird. Asking for ID at first-round interview strikes me as strange (but at second round or later, perhaps not).However, your question details miss out the most important thing: a description of exactly how it happened!Who said what, to whom? What was said then, exactly? This context would be helpful to be able to offer some advice and ideas.Edit, Dec 19, 2014: The OP added question details saying they think the money was for travel costs. While that makes it seem slightly more legit, the conversation during is what matters. IME, local travelling to/from a job interview is at the expense of a candidates typically, but it's common for the recruiting company to pay for flights. What did it cost you to travel there and back?
What should I say if a prospective employer asks for proof of competing offers?
Surprised I haven't seen a recruiter chime in. Qualifications - Recruited for many of the biggest software companies. Most of my candidates have more than two offers. I will admit that I rarely ask for proof of the offer because I don't have the courage to ask. This tactic is widely encouraged throughout recruiting. The reasoning is that we often have candidates who are smart enough to lie about other offers to negotiate for a higher offer. The candidate will intentionally start a bidding war. Most recruiters will offer one number and increase once. After that, most recruiters will walk away from the offer. Not all...There are many signs that a candidate is lying about other offers. Not revealing those secrets. But the only way we can call your bluff is to see the proof. Most companies can make a starting offer without the competitors numbers (but we don't want to) but no company should ever increase their offer without knowing the competitors details. Conversation I have had in the past: "what are your current offers?" "I don't feel comfortable sharing." "...um okay [objection handling] Here are the details for my offer..." Candidate indicates it is not good enough. "Please give me information to know how much" "I don't feel comfortable giving that information." "Then we are at a stalemate until you do give me more information because I will not blindly increase my offer."Hopefully everyone on this thread understands why the recruiter needs this information. Also hopefully everyone understands the chances that some people lie during the negotiation process.
Moral limits on how far a prospective employer delves into an applicant...?
It all depends on the job. I know someone who was looking to get a federal government job and they went around his old neighborhood asking neighbors about him. Its typical to ask certain personal information only because it reveals so much about a person. Although they may not be 'standard' questions, not answering them could cost you a job. What may seem completely irrelevant to you as a job applicant can make all the difference to the possible employer.
Is it unsafe to give an employer my bank account and routing numbers?
The ACH system in the US is pretty weak on security, so it can be abused on that front. If your employer is asking this for direct credit of funds to your account, then you can ask them if there is another option as you don't feel comfortable in giving such information out. Most of my friends in the US, actually have separate bank accounts. For example, one friend has a bank account in small community bank that she uses for such purposes. The name/number of this account is shared at a lot of places for direct deposits. She then moves the money into her Wells Fargo account, and this information she does not give out to anyone. Granted there are fees for moving money back and forth, but she cites, until there is more security, she's not risking it.Some employers may not be able to process your payments other than a direct debit, so you may not have much choice.A good safety is to subscribe to some form of email or text alerts on each and every transactions done on your bank account. Under the US system you have 90 days to ask for a reversal, but sometimes that can be challenged and go to the courts too - but which time it is too late.In the UK, the security is a little better, believe it or not, you have up 5 years to cancel / challenge the direct debit transaction.
How much contact with a potential employer is too much?
Why haven't they hired you yet? Are they interviewing you or asking for you to be a friend? If the hiring manager is going on vacation for 3 weeks, then they should have had a process in place to let you know what to expect. It's unprofessional to keep people in the dark for too long, especially when the hiring manager is going on vacation.If you really want the job, then have patience and hang on, otherwise, go look for another job to interview for - at the very least, you'll possibly have two competing offers.
What can prospective employers legally ask about my employment history?
It is perfectly legal for prospective employers to question your employment history at length. If you lie on your application or to the interviewer you will quickly be eliminated from the competition. It is not true that employers can only ask your start date and end date. What can an employer really say about you if you were fired with or without cause? It depends. It depends on the organization and/or the state you live in. Some organizations believe in full disclosure and will tell all. And there are other organizations who will only verify dates of employment, salary and whether you are rehirable. There are many people who believe that an employer will never know they were fired. But that is a mistake. You are deceiving yourself if you think that an organization won’t find out. If you don’t prep your references properly, that is one way that I have seen a company find out. Also, good HR people know how to ask good questions. All they need is to get a sense that something happened. The other way an organization will “assume” termination is when they ask “would you rehire him/her?” There is a lot in the statement, “He is not eligible for rehire!” If an organization shares that you are not rehireable, they may not give details, but it will leave the HR representative with an opportunity to fill in the blanks and make assumptions. Can your previous employer tell another organization you are not rehireable? Absolutely! How do you know whether that information will be given to another organization? ASK! Before you vacate the premises of your organization, ask questions. Find out what their policy is concerning employment verification. If you are already gone and you don’t know what they will say. Call the HR department and ask. They will share their policy with you. Don’t assume. Don’t ask others to lie for you. If you have been fired, find a way to assess what happened. Take ownership for your part of what happened. Once you own your part, and can objectively assess the situation, you will be able to discuss it with a hiring manager. People get new jobs everyday, well… almost every day. Those who have been fired and those who haven’t. It is definitely more difficult to get a job when you have been fired, but it is not impossible.
Why would a potential employer copy my drivers license when I submitted an application? Is this legal?
I applied for a job yesterday and after finishing the application, they asked to take a photo copy of my drivers license. Since the job I am applying for has nothing to do with driving, I was curious if this is a legal hiring practice. As far as I can tell this piece of information gives my race, creed, color, and date of birth all not to be considered when hiring someone.