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Tech companies: Canada is open—here are some immigration considerations

by Gilda Villaran The Government of Canada prides itself on its positive attitude toward immigration and openly welcomes international talent. There are no restrictions preventing the issuance of work permits based on citizenship, and there is no reason to believe that Canada will change the way it views immigration in the immediate future. Not to […]

Careful What You Wish For: GM Management’s Payback to Obama and the UAW?

I read Tuesday that General Motors Corporation outlined a new plan that would give the U.S. government a controlling stake in the company. In addition, GM said it would use stock to pay off half of the amount it owes the United Auto Workers (UAW) to cover retiree benefits. I checked my calendar. It wasn’t […]

Retaliation: Court Green-Lights Lawsuit by Employee Fired for Complaining that Co-Worker Was Harassed; Avoiding Retaliation Claims

Freddy Hernandez, a lead technician for Spacelabs Medical Inc. in Chatsworth and then in Redmond, Wash., was abruptly terminated after 20 years on the job—just weeks after he reported that a supervisor harassed a co-worker. We’ll explain why the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers California, said Hernandez can sue Spacelabs for retaliation.

How Can You Keep Safety Training a Priority in Shaky Economic Times?

In today’s shaky economy, you may find out that your organization’s commitment to safety training programs is not as strong as you thought. But when it comes to safety, the stakes of cutting back are high. As training professionals know, tough times make vigilance to worker safety even more important. The threat of layoffs can […]

Same-Sex Marriage Rulings May Affect Employers in Other States

(Update May 26, 2009 – California Supreme Court rules that same-sex marriage ban — Proposition 8 — passed by voters in November 2008 is legal but 18,000 same-sex marriages performed before the ban was approved are valid.) A recent decision by the California Supreme Court on same-sex marriage may have implications for employers in other […]

Ten Years Ago They Told Me, ‘Figure Out Compensation’

By Sharon McKnight SPHR, BLR Compensation Specialist If you’ve been assigned to “figure out compensation” then you probably feel like I did about a decade ago. I didn’t even know where to begin, much less what needed to be done. Luckily, I worked for a subsidiary of a large corporation with a very knowledgeable compensation […]

Colorado civil union law means change for employers

The Colorado Civil Union Act, which takes effect May 1, requires changes in employer-provided insurance plans and makes changes to the state’s workers’ compensation law. Effective for plans issued, delivered, or renewed on or after January 1, 2014, a party to a civil union may cover his or her partner as a dependent. Employers providing […]

ERISA: 10 Tips for Ensuring ERISA Compliance

Making sure you comply with the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) is a lot easier when you have a basic understanding of ERISA’s rules. California plan administrators can use the following checklist as guidance to determine if their current plan complies with ERISA’s requirements, including some of the thorniest ones:   1. Have […]