A right to strike?

During 1995, there was a major shift in the United Kingdom in the debate of whether it is right for nurses to strike. The Royal College of Nursing, the former advocate of a non-industrial action policy, moved towards the UNISON position that industrial action is ethical in some circumstances, as well as the necessary thing to do. The authors, both nurses and UNISON officials, look at the reasons for this change and why UNISON's historical position sees industrial action as an effective weapon in defending services, as well as wages and jobs. It can be right to strike.

Labor law update--Part 1

To ensure proper actions when making managerial decisions, nurses must be aware of labor laws and the policies that apply to them. Part 1 of "Labor Law Update" discusses public policy considerations and gender, racial and pregnancy discrimination.

Discrimination matters

Outlines the changes in legal restrictions on the eligibility of dismissed employees to pursue unfair dismissal claims. Includes a discussion of recent decisions in this area including the July 1995 decision in the case of R. v. Secretary of State for Employment ex parte Nicole Seymour-Smith and Laura Perez and Employment Protection (Part-time Employees) Regulations 1995 and assesses the impact of these decisions on personnel practice and disciplinary procedures.

Implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act. A case report on Sears, Roebuck and Co

This article examines the employment practices of Sears, Roebuck and Co. in light of its compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Sears employs approximately 20,000 persons with disabilities, nearly 7000 individuals of whom have orthopedic disabilities. This article describes two illustrative examples of Sears' compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and sets forth five essential implications of the Americans with Disabilities Act compliance that are relevant for spine professionals.

Resolving disputes under the Americans with Disabilities Act. A case example of an employee with a back impairment

To illustrate the importance of proactive medical professional participation in Americans with Disabilities Act reasonable accommodation cases, this article describes the use of alternative dispute resolution techniques to resolve a case involving a blue collar employee with a work-related lower back injury. The problems in accommodating employees with back and spine injuries are being experienced by many employers. To date, the largest number of discrimination claims filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under the Americans with Disabilities Act involve individuals with back and spine impairments. This article identifies eight decision-points in the Americans with Disabilities Act accommodation process that are relevant to employers, persons with disabilities, medical professionals, union representatives, and legal counsel.