Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Back in September 2001, we reported on a California employer that was hit with a $30 million lawsuit after one of its employees struck and killed a teenager while driving and using a cell phone. Now the employee, a former attorney, has been ordered to pay $2 million to the family of the teenager, Naeun […]
A new case underscores just how costly a mistake it can be to not provide departing employees with timely notice of their rights under COBRA to continue their group health coverage.
Many California employers will have to provide sexual harassment training every two years to supervisory employees, thanks to a new law Gov. Schwarzenegger recently signed. Those who are covered will have until January 2006 to comply, but preparations should begin now.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reports that it has received complaints from thousands of returning military personnel about their reemployment rights under the federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). To better educate employees and employers about their rights and obligations under this law, the DOL has released draft regulations designed to […]
A new ruling from the federal appeals court that covers California demonstrates how you can get hit with a retaliation claim following an employee’s request for a reasonable accommodation—even if it turns out the employee wasn’t disabled. The court also pointed out that travel restrictions don’t qualify as limitations on a major life activity for […]
Governor Schwarzenegger has signed new laws changing the information you must include on employee wage statements and clearing up how large the type must be on your whistleblower posters. Join us this fall in San Francisco for the California Employment Law Update conference, a 3-day event that will teach you everything you need to know […]
The largest single settlement Cal/ OSHA ever collected—$462,000—was for a work-related fire. In 1999, Tosco Refining Co. was cited for 33 alleged violations of state workplace safety regulations as a result of a fatal fire at its Avon plant near Martinez. Thankfully, most workplaces won’t experience such tragedies, but even so, OSHA reports that workplace […]
A former employee can be compelled under an arbitration agreement signed at the time of hire to arbitrate claims arising after the worker’s employment has ended, a California appeals court has ruled. We’ll explain the new ruling and provide drafting pointers that can help you use this decision to your advantage.
The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), which enforces laws requiring certain federal contractors and subcontractors to prepare and maintain affirmative action programs, has launched a new program to give contractors advance warning that they’ve been targeted for a compliance audit.
A California appeals court has ruled that a group of Hollywood screenwriters can proceed with 23 class action age-bias lawsuits against the major studios, television networks, talent agencies, and production companies. The lawsuits, filed by the Writers’ Guild of America, allege that the studios, networks, and production companies crafted a “youth-oriented corporate culture that indiscriminately […]