Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
It sounds like a trick question. Guess whose employees are growing a garden? It just couldn’t be, but it is—the workers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)! Agency employees across the country are growing gardens and distributing the harvest to food banks and shelters. “USDA created the People’s Garden Initiative 3 years ago, and […]
What a difference a couple of years makes. Not so long ago, a flurry of states passed legislation or ballot initiatives to increase their minimum wage rates. As recently as 2009, there were minimum wage increases in 24 states. Since then, it appears that changes in the political climate and in the economy have completely […]
A new U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) rule gives employers some relief regarding their ability to reduce or eliminate retirees’ healthcare benefits once they become eligible for Medicare. Such a reduction or elimination will not violate the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the federal statute that prohibits age-based discrimination, the new rule states. […]
By Hector A. Chichoni On Wednesday, July 8, 2009, the U.S. Senate approved several amendments dealing with immigration enforcement and benefits that were not included in the 2010 homeland security appropriations bill (H.R. 2892) passed previously by the House of Representatives. An amendment introduced by Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala) dealing with E-Verify was passed by […]
Update Dec. 16: House Passes COBRA Subsidy Extension and Expansion Today, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued model COBRA continuation coverage notices that reflect the new nine-month, 65 percent subsidy on COBRA premiums. The notices are available online at www.dol.gov/ebsa/COBRAmodelnotice.html. There are four types of notices, each tailored to a particular employee, beneficiary, or […]
The Golden State is often criticized as being unfriendly to businesses, so it’s reasonable to assume that the state would qualify as employee-friendly. But researchers at the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts have come to a surprising conclusion: California ranks in the bottom half of the 50 states in terms of worker-friendliness.
By BLR Legal Editor Jennifer Carsen, JD For the past several months, court-watchers have been waiting for the Supremes to resolve a split among the circuits on the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) contraceptive mandate. Today, the court released its long-awaited opinion—without ruling on the merits of the case.
Sixteen states have proposed legislation introduced under the title “The Healthy Workplace Bill.” In 2009, 12 states’ legislatures considered bullying bills but none passed them. The legislation is intended to stop workplace bullying but hasn’t yet been made law in any state. Keep up with the latest changes in state employment laws with the monthly […]
It’s that time of year when vacations are in full swing, and maybe all the overlapping vacation requests and questions about how vacation works have exposed some gaps in your vacation policy? If so, it’s time to review your policy. Here are the key areas a comprehensive vacation policy should address: Who is entitled to […]
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal has ruled that a negative performance evaluation didn’t support an employee’s retaliation claim because the employer promptly corrected the problem. Aybike Kortan, a clinical psychologist with the California Youth Authority, received a bad review after she complained about a supervisor’s harassment. The court said the poor review, while retaliatory, […]