May 22nd Hi-Way Hi-Lites from NTA - Three Mini Articles and Our Office Closed on Monday in Honor of Memorial Day

Email Newsletter: May 22, 2019 Part II - Vol 124 No 125

Memorial Day Announcement

Greetings!

Please note that NorthAmerican Transportation will be closed on Monday May 27, 2019 in observance of Memorial Day.

Normal operations will resume on Tuesday, May 28, 2019.

Have a Safe Memorial Day Weekend with Family and Friends.

Always remember to check the NTA website every month for new benefits

Join the NTA and let us help you shine.

Remember, our motto is "Helping Others to Succeed in Business"

Wayne Schooling

NorthAmerican Transportation Association

Three Quick Articles

An Indictment is Enough to Get You Fired in PR

If you are indicted for a felony in Puerto Rico, your employer does not have to wait for a verdict if they want to fire you. The case of Edwin Gonzalez Santiago v. Baxter Healthcare went all the way to the Puerto Rico Supreme Court (PRSC). The plaintiff had been with the company for 15 years when he was indicted on 6 felonies and one misdemeanor charge of lewd acts. The company immediately suspended him without pay, even though it took more than a year for the case to end with convictions on all counts. The employee claimed the suspension without pay was the same as being fired before the case was settled, but according to the PRSC, employers do not have to adhere to the “innocent until proven guilty” standard that is required in the criminal context.

Mass. AG Making Sure Employers Ban the Box

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healy is making an example out of companies that do not Ban the Box. The law was passed back in 2010 as part of the state’s criminal record information system reform. Employers were supposed to remove any question about criminal history from their initial job applications, but now, nine years later, the AG’s office found 19 companies violating the law. Two of the larger employers, Brooks Brothers and DesignWerks, paid a fine and got their applications into compliance. Seventeen other employers received warnings and have all confirmed that, they too, are now in compliance.

Best and Worst Drug States

The US spends nearly $30 billion a year trying to fight the war on drugs. WalletHub just released a study that shows which states have the biggest drug problems. The 22 metrics used for the rankings ranged from drug arrests, overdoses, opioid prescriptions and the percentage of teens trying illicit drugs. Number one on the list is not even a state: Washington, DC scored 59.95 out of a possible 100 points, which puts it securely in the top spot. Rounding out the top 5 are Michigan, Missouri, West Virginia and Indiana. The states with the smallest problem, at least according to this study, are North Dakota, Kansas, Idaho, Hawaii and Minnesota.