00:00 Introduction 01:54 Current Event - Lizzo Lawsuit 12:07 Reddit Question - Accommodation Requests 17:31 The Office - Diversity Day Analysis 28:50 Conclusion ..read more

D. Scott Crook and James Crook look for employment law issues in the Office episode "Booze Cruise." Later, they discuss a question from r/humanresources about a manager using a racial slur. Finally, Scott shares a quick tip about checking the law for updates ..read more

     Hiring is a compliance minefield. Laws, rules, and regulations loom at every turn to trip employers up. The process involved in verifying a person’s employment authorization is no different. Most employers know how to fill out an initial I-9 when taking on a new hire; but they often have questions about other aspects of I-9 compliance, such as: 1)      When may/must I audit my current employees’ I-9s? and 2)      What may/must I do if I have reason to believe my current employees are not actually work-authorized? (If you mi ..read more

     A. Introduction As a general rule, if a person owns land, that person has the right to develop it, adapt it, or otherwise use it for some beneficial purpose. In the commercial context, the beneficial purpose is usually to make money. But, as we know, the ways in which landowners can use their properties are regulated by zoning and land use laws. These laws are usually interpreted and enforced by local government entities, typically cities and counties (the “local government”). Sometimes, before developing or using a property in a certain way, the landowner must seek permis ..read more

The information in this article generally describes the law and is not intended to be specific legal advice. As I'm sure you know, laws frequently change and can vary in different jurisdictions. So please consult with a lawyer if you have specific questions about your situation. If you were hoping for a simple answer to the question, “Am I entitled to severance pay?” you will leave with the short, two-word answer, “it depends!” But you didn’t come to this blog post for those two infuriating words, did you? Let’s dive into the weeds. Are you entitled to severance? It depends. In Utah and most o ..read more

In Utah, even the smallest local government entity has a duty to create a merit-based employment system, i.e., a civil service system, and conduct an annual review of the system. If you are an elected official, have you assured that such a system has been established or that an annual review has been conducted? Why do governmental entities have civil service systems? Although each state's systems were established at different times and have different historical development, most civil service systems were established as part of the governmental reform movements during the turn of the 20th Ce ..read more

On Thursday, October 28, 2021, D. Scott Crook will be presenting with other distinguished faculty members at the upcoming National Business Institute (NB() Seminar, Mini Law School for Utah HR Professional, A Comprehensive Primer on Labor and Employment Law. Scott’s presentation will focus on Controlling Unemployment Compensation Costs. To register for the course, please click on the link above ..read more

  Crook & Taylor Law is now Crook Legal Group PLLC Crook & Taylor Law is pleased to announce that Christopher S. Feuz has joined the firm. Chris has been an attorney for nearly 15 years and is an experienced litigator and problem solver. His last name is pronounced “Foytz.” Chris joins Crook & Taylor Law after working many years with the Salt Lake City law firm of Mitchell Barlow & Mansfield, P.C., where he gained significant experience in complex commercial and real estate litigation. Chris’s practice will focus primarily on business, employment, and real e ..read more

  Sometimes commercial landlords and tenants are so eager to sign a written lease agreement that they neglect to include all of the essential terms that will govern the relationship. When this happens, it is likely that the parties do not even have an enforceable contract. This is what happened with a landlord and a Gold’s Gym. They signed a three-year lease. But, the building needed significant tenant improvements to be used for a gym. The lease said nothing about who would be responsible to pay for the tenant improvements. After the bid for tenant improvements estimated a cost of $168 ..read more

    If you are involved in a dispute and you think you may need to hire a lawyer, you may want to know if you can make the other side pay for your attorney’s fees. The answer to this depends on the type of case you have. In Utah, the judge will order the other side to reimburse you for the money you paid your attorney only in certain types of cases. I will address five of them here. Contract - The first is a case where the parties have signed a written contract that has an attorney fee provision. Many written contracts have a sentence or two that say something like, “In any a ..read more