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And then there were seven: Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire (D) on Feb. 13 signed a measure making same-sex marriage legal in that state. Washington joins Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York, Iowa and the District of Columbia as U.S. jurisdictions with that distinction. The Washington law goes into effect on June 7. The Washington […]
Despite a strategy to promote an inclusive culture in your organization, unconscious bias could be undermining your efforts. That is why some companies proactively address unconscious bias through training.
4,901: number of pregnancy discrimination complaints filed with the EEOC in 2006, making it one of the fastest growing types of workplace complaints 99.1 million: amount of sex-based discrimination claims paid to plaintiffs 16: Percentage of female corporate officers at FORTUNE 500 companies 9: Number of female CEOs at FORTUNE 500 companies
Things are getting really busy, and now employee A wants FMLA leave, B has jury duty, and C needs an accommodation. It can be frustrating, but employees have rights, and it’s foolhardy to challenge them. In yesterdays’ Advisor we began covering 10 essential steps for avoiding employee lawsuits. Here are steps 5 through 10: Step […]
What’s one of the killer problems with defending wrongful termination lawsuits? When “the story” about why the person was fired is inconsistent. That is, when HR, the manager, and the documentation don’t agree. For example, here’s what happens: The employee’s performance is poor enough that he or she has to be fired. But the supervisor […]
Among the add-ons to the $700 billion financial rescue package that Congress recently passed was a measure that will affect many employers whose health plans offer mental health benefits. The Paul Wellstone-Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 builds on and closes employer-friendly loopholes in the limited mental health parity measure […]
A new report from PayScale, “CEO Salaries: How Much Do CEOs Make Compared to Their Employees?” examines CEO-to-worker pay ratios in light of the recent adoption of a final rule, mandated by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd Frank Act), that requires a public company to disclose the ratio of its […]
Siebel Systems Inc. has agreed to shell out up to $27.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit charging that the company violated the California Labor Code and Wage Orders by classifying software engineers as exempt from overtime and failing to pay for overtime hours worked. The suit also alleged that the company illegally prohibited […]
A second employer has been sued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over its employee wellness program. Once again, the EEOC alleges that the company’s penalties for nonparticipation rendered the program involuntary, making it a medical inquiry prohibited by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The latest case, announced Oct. 1, involved a plastics manufacturer […]
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill — the Employee Free Choice Act — that would make it easier for employees to form unions. The measure was approved by a vote of 241-185.