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New Overtime Regs—Handling Employee Concerns

New overtime regulations can cause a shakeup in the workplace—and HR professionals must be prepared to handle employee concerns. Employees may have certain issues with being transitioned from exempt to nonexempt, and BLR® Legal Editor Susan Prince, JD, MSL, has advice for helping employees navigate these worries.

Dredging: The Invisible, but Crucial, Task of All Managers

When I was a little boy, I had a book that was filled with pictures of heavy equipment. Like many boys, I was fascinated by the large bulldozers, cranes, and trucks. There was one piece of equipment that intrigued me because I had never seen anything like it. It was a grab dredger.

EEOC, OSHA issue retaliation guidance

by Whitney Brown Earlier this year, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released its Proposed Enforcement Guidance on Retaliation and Related Issues, which follows on the heels of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) November 2015 proposed guidance Protecting Whistleblowers: Recommended Practices for Employers for Preventing and Addressing Retaliation. Here’s an overview of both […]

A $15 California Minimum Wage?

Most California employers will see the state’s minimum wage reach $15 an hour by 2022 if reports of a deal in the state legislature materialize as expected. Some businesses and industries may be impacted more than others—how will the proposed wage increases affect your company?

Paid Sick Leave Comes to Los Angeles

On April 19, 2016, the Los Angeles, California city council voted in favor of a proposed ordinance that would provide 6 days of paid sick leave per year to Los Angeles employees. The City Attorney has been given several weeks to draft an ordinance.

Honest Mistake Costs California Employer

A recent California decision serves as a reminder to employers that the landscape of disability discrimination is quite complex. When an employer evaluates an employee’s disability, the legal consequences of a factual mistake—even an honest mistake—will be borne by the employer.

Fatal Occupational Injuries in California

The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) has released data regarding the number of workplace fatalities for 2014, the most recent numbers available. The good news is the number of Californians who died on the job decreased from the previous year.

California Uber Driver Update

It’s been a common question in California courts—when should a worker be classified as an independent contractor? Drivers for ride-hailing giant Uber will continue to be independent contractors under the terms of a settlement of class-action lawsuits in California and Massachusetts if the settlement receives court approval.