Ask a Lawyer - Today's Q & A

Can my boss leave his dog at work and expect his employees to look after it?

Generally speaking, and so long as it does not violate any laws or other rules specfic to an employment relationship, an employer has a lot of lattitude over what he can ask an employee to do as part of his or her employment. You can play the "what if" game all day long to try to come up with situations where it may not be appropriate (e.g., if it is illegal to have dogs in your office building, or if the dog is vicious, or if an employee has a known allergic reaction to dogs, or if you have a written employment contract that specifies a job description, or if by doing so it would violate a collective bargaining agreement). In and of itself, though, an employer asking employees to babysit his dog may be a bit out of the ordinary, but it does not sound out of line. Nor would his asking you to take out the trash, or wash his car, or pick up the dry cleaning. But at the same time, he would have to compensate you in accordance with applicable labor, wage and hour laws in your state. Of course, he can't force you to do it, but assuming you are an "at will" employee, he could fire you if you refuse. By the same token, you would also have the right to quit and try to move on to a new job more to your liking.

My sister died without a will, and without any money to pay her final bills. I paid for her funeral even though I had to borrow the money. Now I am receiving bills/letters from different businesses she owed money to. I have responded that I am not legally responsible for her bills and there is no money to pay them. What can I do to stop receiving the statements?

I am sorry for your loss, and sorry about these numbskulls who are hounding you. I'm not sure if the collection letters are addressed to you or your sister. In either case, I suggest that you respond to each in writing stating simply that your sister is deceased, that you are not the representative of her estate, that you are not liable for the amounts due and that they are to cease all contact with you immediately or you will pursue legal action as appropriate. That should put a stop to most of them.

While I'm not an expert in probate law, if your sister had any assets at all upon her death, it might be worth filing for administration of her estate through probate court. That might even reimburse you for the funeral expenses. Best of luck.