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U.S. Supreme Court Reverses Decision on Decades-Old Maternity Leave

In a May 18, 2009, decision, the U.S. Supreme Court addressed the issue of whether women who took maternity leave decades ago (before discrimination based on pregnancy became illegal) can sue to have their pregnancy leave time count toward their pensions. The Court reversed the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling and held that […]

Investigating an Employee’s Formal Complaint

When an employee initiates a complaint to HR of unfair treatment or sexual harassment, the best thing to do is to move immediately to start an investigation. Choose an objective, outside investigator, attorney, or HR professional to conduct the investigation. Prepare a summary statement of the complaint that the interviewee agrees with and signs. Interview […]

America’s Workforce is Aging, and That Could Be Good News

It’s true, none of us is getting any younger. But what’s especially interesting is that our workforce is becoming significantly older. In fact, it’s projected that by the year 2030, the number of people 65 years or older in the U.S. will represent 20% of the U.S. population, and many of them will still be […]

Does Pregnant Employee Have a Discrimination Claim?

By Beth Kahn and Timothy J. Toohey, Morris Polich & Purdy LLP A California employer fired a pregnant employee for violating its policy on reporting missing customer deposits. On appeal, the California Court of Appeal considered whether the employee had a claim for pregnancy discrimination and whether the employer had a legitimate reason for terminating […]

‘Reasonable Interest Rate’ Debate Continues

Employers and plan administrators will be better able to administer plan loans and meet the prohibited transaction exemption, since the IRS has given them a clearer picture of what constitutes a “reasonable rate of interest.” The IRS has provided this assistance in guidance it published in the Winter 2012 edition of its “Retirement News for […]

Recruiting GLBT employees makes sense

Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) professionals are being increasingly targeted by corporate America — as both employees and customers. According to new research, the industry doing the best job of it is the financial services sector. In the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) most recent annual Corporate Equality Index, 32 employers in the financial services […]

Minneapolis employers must prepare for new paid sick leave law

by Dennis Merley In a unanimous vote, the Minneapolis City Council has passed a paid sick and safe leave ordinance that is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2017. The ordinance covers all employers with one or more employees, but employers with fewer than six employees must provide only unpaid sick and safe leave. […]

New Rules Proposed to Provide FLSA Protections to In-Home Care Workers

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is proposing a rule change that would expand minimum wage and overtime protections for many employees in the home-care industry. A statement from the White House on December 15 said that if implemented, the proposed rule would affect nearly two million workers who provide in-home care services for the […]