Omaha forum on labor law exams court decision on unused vacation

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1219&u_sid=2364375

Published Thursday | April 12, 2007
Omaha forum on labor law exams court decision on unused vacation
BYJOE RUFF
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER


A Nebraska Supreme Court decision allowing employees who are leaving a job to claim pay for unused vacation raised questions beyond that one issue, an attorney said Thursday.

Companies began to ask how other benefits should be treated, such as paid time off and sick leave, said David Kramer of Omaha law firm Baird Holm.

The firm's daylong forum on labor law issues drew more than 700 human resources experts, lawyers and others to the Qwest Center Omaha.

"This case was just about vacation, but it opened up a whole other series of issues," Kramer said.

The high court ruled in October that four former employees of an Omaha business were entitled to payments for accumulated vacation, despite a company policy that said unused vacation would be forfeited if workers resigned or were terminated.

The court relied on state law that defined earned wages broadly to include fringe benefits, such as vacation and sick leave.

FULL story at link.