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Web Surfing at Work–Can You Stop It?

It seems that no matter how many times you remind employees to stop personal use of the Internet, they keep on surfing. Today’s expert has solutions. Internet usage at work is tough one, says Laura E. Innes, a partner at the law firm of Simpson, Garrity & Innes in South San Francisco. But there are […]

California Equal Pay Act expansion takes effect January 1

by Cathleen S. Yonahara Freeland Cooper & Foreman LLP California’s equal pay law will provide protections for race and ethnicity as well as gender as of January 1, 2017. Since 1949, California law has prohibited gender-based wage discrimination, and in 2015, that protection was expanded to require equal pay for men and women who perform […]

Class of 2014: Will new grads fill employers’ needs?

The 2014 wave of college graduates has hit the employment shore, providing employers with a flood of eager applicants ready to put their newly acquired skills to work. But are they landing on solid ground or shifting sand? Some statistics indicate the terrain is more stable than in recent years, but the road is still […]

Climbing the Steps (Literally) To Employee Wellness, Morale

Given the choice of climbing three flights of stairs or taking an elevator, most people would probably opt for the elevator. But that’s not necessarily the case at Griffin Hospital, Derby, CT, where a renovated stairwell—complete with carpeting, upbeat music, artwork, and aroma therapy—has generated more interest in trekking up the stairs. The stairwell was […]

Heeere’s Johnny!!! Or, what horrors lurk in your building?

If you’ve seen The Shining you certainly remember the scene when Jack Nicholson’s character, now thoroughly possessed by the Overlook Hotel’s diabolical spirits, hefts an axe and chases his wife through the snowbound resort. Cornering her in a bathroom, he splinters the door and bellows, “Heeere’s Johnny!”  Scary stuff, for sure. For me, though, I […]

Rose-colored Glasses: Self-funding Is Looking Better for Smaller Firms

If you run a smaller firm and pay an insurance company to cover your workers’ health, one of your top concerns is probably how to control spiraling health insurance expenses. Just two or three major health expenditures can cause your insurer to radically increase your premiums. And if you’re located in a part of the […]

Shabby Treatment at Termination Begs for a Lawsuit

The way you treat the people you terminate can make the difference between an ex-employee who is upset but moving on, and an ex-employee who is angry and calling 1-800-LAWYER. Lin Grensing-Pophal, writing in Human Resource Executive, cited several tales that highlight what disgruntled employees might do: One made a false accusation of harassment that […]

2nd Circuit Reverses Xerox Plan’s Use of ‘Phantom’ Offset

For the third time in eight years, a federal district court decision endorsing Xerox’s pension plan interpretation has been reversed, setting aside judicial deference usually granted to these interpretations under ERISA and moving Xerox retirees closer to winning final benefits. The issue in the case is how an earlier lump-sum distribution to some employees affects […]

Separating Extravagant Perks from Those that Yield High ROIs

Many employers think that they need to offer things like table tennis in large and custom-designed breakrooms, organic juice bars, bring-your-dog-to-work days, and free lunch every other day—especially when it comes to hiring younger employees—to retain employees and keep them happy.