Most Popular

Health And Safety: Court Looks At When Unintended Safety Lapses May Lead To Penalties For Willful Violation Of Cal/OSHA Rules

By Jennifer Carsen Jul 1, 2000 HR Management & Compliance

Updated: May 18, 2015

John Blackstock, an apprentice electrician with Rick’s Electric Inc., a San Diego electrical contractor, was seriously hurt when he received a 227-volt shock while working on electrical cables. Foreman Glen Woodmansee believed the cables weren’t energized, but didn’t check before assigning Blackstock to the project. Plus, Blackstock hadn’t been trained to work on live equipment. […]

Feds Step Up Health Reform Implementation With New Rules

By Gwen Cofield, Contributing Editor Mar 5, 2013 Benefits and Compensation

Updated: Mar 5, 2013

It’s been busy recently for the federal government when it comes to implementing various health reform requirements. Here’s an overview of new guidance issued the week of Feb. 25-March 1 on health insurer fees, market reforms, the Small Business Health Options Program, multiple employer welfare arrangement regulation and information reporting. Self-insured Health Plans Exempt from […]

News Notes: Maker Of Wonder Bread Ordered To Pay $131 Million For Race Bias

By HR Daily Advisor Staff Sep 1, 2000 HR Management & Compliance

Updated: May 18, 2015

A San Francisco jury has ordered the nation’s largest wholesale baker to pay $11 million in compensatory damages and a whopping $120 million in punitive damages to African-American workers who said they were subjected to racial slurs, unequal treatment and other indignities by co-workers and supervisors at three Bay Area plants. Workers testified that they […]

Exempt Employees: Federal Government Proposes Overhaul of Who’s Exempt from Overtime, but California Rules Still Stricter

By Jennifer Carsen May 1, 2003 HR Management & Compliance

Updated: May 19, 2015

The U.S. Department of Labor recently published a proposal to update the 50-year-old Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulations defining white-collar exemptions. The new rules could take effect by the end of the year after a public comment and review process. But, as explained below, the changes probably won’t have much impact on California employers […]

You’re the Expert: Do You Allow Dogs in the Workplace?

By jessica Aug 4, 2008 Uncategorized

Updated: Aug 4, 2008

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? […]

New OSHA Mobile App Helps Workers Prevent Heat Illness

By HR Hero Alerts Aug 12, 2011 HR Management & Compliance

Updated: Aug 12, 2011

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is going high-tech with its efforts to prevent heat-related illnesses. The agency announced on August 11 that it has released a free application for mobile devices that is aimed at helping workers and supervisors monitor the heat index at their work sites. Available in English and Spanish, […]

Supreme Court Eliminates ‘Background Circumstances’ Test for Title VII Claims

By Michelle L. Kolkmeyer, Attorney, Bodman PLC Jul 17, 2025 HR Management & Compliance

Updated: Jul 17, 2025

In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has formalized and affirmed the legal standard for employment discrimination claims for nonminority groups under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. What Changed? Typically, in Title VII cases, employees must show they are members of a protected class, they were qualified for the job […]

Cars, Trucks and Vans: Deduction Limits Out for 2012

By Dan Macy Mar 5, 2012 HR Management & Compliance

Updated: Mar 5, 2012

Employers will now be able to calculate the depreciation of vehicles — passenger cars, trucks and vans that they provide to employee as a fringe benefit — that they first put into service in calendar year 2012, since the IRS has released the new depreciation deduction limits. Revenue Procedure (Rev. Proc.) 2012-23, released March 4, […]

Employer Groups Fighting Back Against NLRB

By HR Hero Alerts Sep 19, 2011 HR Management & Compliance

Updated: Sep 19, 2011

Recent actions taken by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) have sparked enough anger among employers to prompt a lawsuit, an ad campaign, and support for a bill in Congress that’s seen as a way to curb what one employer group calls a “rogue agency.” The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) filed a lawsuit on […]

Hot List: New York Times Bestselling Paperback Business Books

By Celeste Blackburn Mar 23, 2009 HR Management & Compliance

Updated: Mar 23, 2009

The following is a list of the bestselling paperback business books as ranked by the New York Times on March 23. 1. Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan by Suze Orman. Managing your money in hard times. 2. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell. How and why certain […]