It is not uncommon to see your fellow Florida motorists, head tilted downward and not on the road, utilizing their mobile device to text while their vehicle is in motion. Florida is now catching up to the rest of the country in one important area:  giving teeth to our texting while driving law. Enacted in 2013, Florida Statute 316.305, known as the “Florida Ban on Texting While Driving Law”, is intended to improve roadway safety by preventing crashes related to the act of text messaging.

Secondary Offense Not Enough

This statute, however, only authorized law enforcement officers to stop motor vehicles and issue citations as a “secondary” offense to persons who were texting and driving. In other words, police were only able to cite motorists for texting if they were pulled over for other reasons, such as speeding or failure to yield. This law did little to curb accidents caused by “distracted driving”, which were numerous, and often deadly.Continue Reading Florida Drivers Be Aware: Texting and Driving is a “Primary” Concern

Medical-marijuana-sign flickr Laurie AvocadoTwenty-three states now permit medical or recreational marijuana use, yet the overwhelming number of public and private employers continues to prohibit employees from using the drug. As the number of states allowing private marijuana use grows, businesses are having growing concerns about their rights to enforce workplace drug policies and otherwise operate their businesses in a drug-free environment. A case will soon be heard that will likely examine these competing interests directly.

The ABA Journal and New York Times report that in Colorado, where the drug is now legal for recreational use, an employee fired for using marijuana off-duty has appealed his termination to that state’s highest court. The Colorado Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on September 30, 2014 in a suit filed by a fired customer service representative who uses medical marijuana to control painful spasms he has suffered since he was paralyzed in a car crash.Continue Reading Medical Marijuana and Employers’ Rights

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MEMO

To:   All Employees  

From:   Miss Blu* in HR

Re:  Workplace Policy #101:  Drinking at Company Party

As you are aware, the company party is coming up this weekend. HR is concerned that some employees will get snockered at this event. Since some of those in HR plan on getting wasted as well, HR has