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Minnesota Women’s Economic Security Act begins to take effect

The new Minnesota Women’s Economic Security Act (WESA)—an amalgamation of changes designed to “close the gender gap” by breaking down barriers to economic progress for women—has begun to take effect. Governor Mark Dayton signed WESA into law on Mother’s Day earlier this month. Some of the changes were “effective upon enactment,” which means they went […]

Veterans Soldiering On Through Tough Job Market

By Tammy Binford The recession has been discouraging to job seekers of all stripes – those with advanced degrees as well as those without higher education, those in specialized fields and those looking for just any kind of work. Certainly job seekers transitioning out of the military aren’t immune to the difficulties posed by the […]

Workers’ Compensation: Lawsuit Against Tosco Tries End Run Around Workers’ Comp Limits

A Tosco worker injured in a catastrophic 1999 explosion and fire at the company’s Martinez refinery and the family of another worker killed in the disaster have filed a lawsuit against Tosco. Employees who are injured on the job are generally limited to workers’ comp benefits. But this lawsuit attempts to sidestep this restriction by […]

News Notes: OSHA Recommends Workplace Precautions Against West Nile Virus

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released a bulletin providing information on workplace precautions against West Nile virus, an illness transmitted primarily by mosquitoes. This year, hundreds of cases of the virus have been reported in 33 states. And while the virus had so far bypassed California, as we went to press a […]

You Can Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too (If You’re Creative)

By Todd Thomas Just My E-pinion In this era of tight finances, Todd Thomas suggests that a little creativity will allow you to maintain corporate charitable contributions and management training retreats on a zero-dollar budget. (You might have to buy lunch.) Most organizations are finding they have to cut back on “non-essentials” like charitable giving […]

Harassment: San Jose Newspaper Settles Same-Sex Harassment Suit

The San Jose Mercury News has agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a same-sex harassment lawsuit. The lawsuit grew out of a charge filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by Mark Newton, a mailroom employee who claimed he was subjected to ongoing sexual harassment by a male supervisor. The alleged harassment included inappropriate sexual […]

Caregiver Hearing Postponed Due to Death of Rep. Donald Payne

The House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections postponed its hearing on controversial regulations extending minimum wage and overtime protections to home health aides, scheduled for March 7, due to the death of Representative Donald M. Payne, D-N.J., a senior member of the panel.

Getting Started with Succession Planning

Question and answer session with Hal Adler Q: Why is succession planning so important in a tough economy? Hal: Look at it this way. We’ve seen dramatic rebounds in the stock market. This thing could turn around as fast as it got here, but regardless of how long it takes, employers don’t want to be […]

Looking to 2012—Good News and Bad News on the HR Front

Get ready now for an aggressive NLRB; meanwhile, get your ADA house in order, say panelists at BLR’s Advanced Employment Issues Symposium (AEIS) in Nashville. Good news? It’s not too late to act. Under proposed NLRB rule changes, employers will have less of a chance to make their cases for staying union free, says Al […]