Archives
Recordkeeping: Can We Destroy Paper Originals if We Keep Scanned Electronic Copies on File?
We have many employment documents that bear a seal or have a signature or a notary’s stamp. If we scan the documents and store them electronically, can we keep (and properly index) only the original pages that have the seal, signature, etc., and destroy the rest of the pages? Or, even better, can we scan […]
Cheesecake Factory’s Not-So-Sweet Harassment Suit
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has slapped restaurant chain Cheesecake Factory, Inc., headquartered in Calabasas, with a class-action lawsuit alleging male-on-male sexual harassment at a restaurant in Arizona.
Beware Liability When Workers Talk on Phone While Driving
by Karen Sargeant former of McCarthy Tetrault We have all heard the statistics (and it’s no surprise!) — driving while talking on a cell phone increases the likelihood of a car accident even if you use a “hands-free” set. At the same time, your employees have cell phones, iPhones, BlackBerries(R) and other personal data assistants […]
Benefits Denials Scrutinized When Plan Administrator Plays Dual Role
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled on the level of scrutiny courts must apply when an employee challenges a denial of benefits and the plan administrator, whether the employer or an insurance company, played the dual role of determining whether the employee was eligible for benefits and paying benefits out of its own pocket.1 The […]
Is Work/life Balance the New Retention Solution?
Demographics and generational attitudes are coming together to make substantial flexibility demands on employers. That’s why work/life balance, once a nice-to-talk-about concept, has moved to the front burner in many organizations. Boomers have the skills you want to retain, but these days they want more time off. Gen X and Gen Y workers, similarly skillful, […]
Short Takes: FEHA Exemption
I work at a church and have been told that we’re exempt from the California Fair Employment and Housing Act’s (FEHA) requirements. Is this true?
Short Takes: Cell Phones
We have a lot of teenagers working here this summer. Does California’s new cell phone law have more stringent restrictions for them than for adults?
You’re the Expert: Do You Allow Dogs in the Workplace?
In every issue, we take one reader’s question and ask our other readers to weigh in. Here’s what you had to say about a recent question: We’ve got a few employees who are really lobbying to bring their dogs to work. We see a lot of pros and a lot of cons—what do you think? […]
Benefits: What Do I Need to Know About the Proposed New Disclosure and Reporting Requirements for ERISA Plan Service Providers?
I know some big ERISA regulations are expected to be issued later this year. Where can I go for more information? — Anonymous in Bakersfield The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) plans to release its final regulations on proposed amendments to Section 408(b)(2) of ERISA, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, later this summer. […]