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Independent Contractors: Maid Company to Pay Big for Misclassification

A federal judge has ordered Southern California Maid Services and Carpet Cleaning, based in Gardena, to pay $3,467,789 in back wages, plus $1,058,973 in liquidated damages, to 385 current and former low-wage domestic workers who were misclassified as independent contractors. The court’s action resolves a lawsuit filed against the employer by the U.S. Department of […]

Which Religious Holidays Are Recognized the Most?

Christmas Day — 99% Christmas Eve —  44% Good Friday —  29% Easter — 19% Yom Kippur —  2% Ash Wednesday —  1% Passover —  1% Hanukkah — 1% Rosh Hashanah —  1% Other —  4% Source: Religion and Corporate Culture Survey Report (SHRM, 2008)

Employment Law Tip: Parental Leave for School Activities

It’s hard to believe, but many schools will be back in session in just a few weeks, which means that parents may be called upon to make an appearance at their children’s schools. Now’s a good time for employers to review the rules regarding when parents can take work leave to participate in their kids’ […]

Wisconsin becomes latest right-to-work state

On March 9, a signature by Governor Scott Walker made Wisconsin the 25th state to pass right-to-work legislation. The new law means private-sector workers who don’t join a union won’t have to pay what is known as “fair share” payments assessed on workers who are deemed to benefit from union contracts despite their nonunion status. […]

Race Harassment: EEOC Charges Harassment At Group Home

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has stepped in to file a lawsuit accusing Catholic Charities of firing an African-American case manager after he complained about racially offensive treatment. Keith Bogard claimed that because of his race he was given undesirable assignments at a Catholic Charities group home in San Francisco. He also charged that staff […]

Bias Charge Filings Drop Slightly

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has reported that discrimination charge filings in 2005 were down in all bias categories, and dropped by 5 percent overall. The EEOC received 75,428 charges for the fiscal year 2005 (which ended Sept. 30) and recovered almost $380 million in monetary relief through enforcement actions and litigation. The […]

New Wyoming law will help employers protect their computer systems

by Bradley T. Cave A Wyoming law going into effect on July 1 creates a new criminal offense—computer trespassing—that may give employers a new tool to prevent employee sabotage. Computer trespassing occurs when a person knowingly and without authorization sends malware, data, or a program that (1) alters or damages a computer, system, or network […]

News Flash: California Employer Pays For Retirement Plan Violations

As part of its ongoing ERISA enforcement, the Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration recently investigated Walnut, Calif.-based Avacon Corporation’s 401(k) ERISA compliance. As a result of the investigation, the PWBA filed acomplaint, charging that four Avacon plan officials and trustees had failed to forward employee contributions to the plan in a timely fashion. During the […]

Consider Extra Harassment Training Before Hiring Teens

Summer is upon us, and that means an influx of seasonal teen workers at many workplaces throughout the state. You may have already looked into the special safety rules for these workers, as well as the restrictions on the hours they can work, but there’s another key issue you may not have considered: sexual harassment.