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News Note: Retaliation, Sexual Harassment Claims Rise
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reports that the number of cases involving sexual harassment and retaliation is increasing. Retaliationclaims, the fastest-growing type of complaint filed with the EEOC, have gone up more than 77% between 1992 and 1999. A total of 11,096 retaliation charges were filed in 1992, but by 1999, the number had jumped […]
News Flash: LAPD Can Fire Unqualified Officer Who Was Hired By Mistake
When Eugene Quinn applied to be a Los Angeles police officer, he failed the medical exam because of a hearing impairment. But due to a clerical error, he was told to report for further training exams, which he passed. Quinn graduated from the police academy and was assigned to patrol duty before his hearing problem […]
Employee Lawsuits: Workers’ Comp Release Barred Sexual Harassment Claim; 4 Tips You Can Use
Mary Jefferson, a teacher’s assistant for the California Youth Authority (CYA), said that a CYA teacher and his students regularly used derogatory language when referring to women, such as “bitch,” “whore” and “slut.” Jefferson filed a workers’ compensation claim, contending that she suffered work-related stress from a sexually hostile work environment. Jefferson also filed a […]
Time to Terminate At-Will Disclaimers? No! Says Expert
In today’s we-want-to-be-the-employer-of-choice world, isn’t it counterintuitive to be telling each new employee, “We can fire you for any reason or no reason”? In the face of the numerous exceptions to employment-at-will status (see yesterday’s Advisor), why would any company bother with at-will statements? Even though it may seem wrong from a morale standpoint, and […]
GOP Emphasizes Job-hindering Aspects of Health Reform Mandates; Feds Clarify Employer Guidance
In spite of its one-year suspension of the employer mandate under health care reform, the government added implementation and compliance materials for employers to government websites. Meanwhile Republican legislators attacked not only reform’s revenue and penalty collection functions, but also its definition of full-time employees as 30 hours per week, saying it must become 40 hours a […]
10 CA Hospitals Fined for Medical Errors
Because of serious medical mistakes at 10 California hospitals, eight patients died, an adolescent lost vision, and a tenth patient sustained severe bleeding from the nose due to medical errors, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Wage Violations: Massachusetts Employer Facing Lawsuit Can’t Hide Under the Table
by Marylou Fabbo, JD of Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. Most employers take their obligation to properly pay their employees seriously. After all, under state and federal wage laws, an employer could be required to pay up to triple damages for wage violations. If you need additional urging to take a look at your wage […]
Economy and talent drought may force widespread diversity
Surprise, surprise: Leaders of international executive search firm Epsen Fuller have noticed severe deficits in diversity at the executive level. And they know of what they speak: The firm is the U.S. member of IMD International Search and Consulting, the 14th largest executive search firm network in the world. The firm’s own research reveals that […]
New California Employment Laws: Get Prepared
Governor Jerry Brown recently vetoed four of the five bills the California Chamber of Commerce identified as “job killers.” The one job-killer bill signed into law is Assembly Bill 22, which severely restricts a prospective employer’s use of credit reports to screen applicants.