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Could software solve your diversity problems? The National Science Foundation thinks so. The federal agency awarded a $450,000 Small Business Innovation Research grant to the Boulder, Colorado, tech firm OptTek Systems, which plans to build a software application that can improve an organization’s ability to strategically plan and manage its workforce. Issues such as limited […]
Governor Schwarzenegger has vetoed A.B. 48, which would have boosted the minimum wage for California workers to $7.75 an hour by July 2007. In a veto message, the governor stated that he supports an increase in the minimum wage–which hasn’t been boosted since 2002–but that he isn’t in favor of legislation, like A.B. 48, that […]
By Jane Meacham The U.S. Department of Labor on July 30 quickly revised its field assistance bulletin on retirement plan fee disclosures to clarify a contested question’s impact on so-called brokerage windows and self-directed accounts, which allow plan participants to select investments beyond those designated by an employer-sponsored plan. In the clarification, a new question […]
By Clark PhinneyJust My E-pinion “Just meeting the regulatory requirements is like asking your kids to only get a ‘D’ in school,” says compliance expert Clark Phinney. It’s a simple observation he heard a few years ago that seems to say it all about attitudes toward compliance. “…like asking your kids to get a D.” […]
Our workplace is flooded with PDAs, cell phones, flash drives, and the like. We’re worried about security and productivity. What are you doing to deal with the proliferation of miniature electronic devices in the workplace?
A former employee who claims his employer refused to rehire him becausehe took too much family leave can sue under the federal Family and MedicalLeave Act, according to a federal appellate court. Mark Duckworth had takena 52-day medical leave from his job at Pratt & Whitney, Inc., becauseof a punctured lung. When he was subsequently […]
On July 31, President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order “to promote economy and efficiency in procurement by contracting with responsible sources who comply with labor laws.” The order will apply to new government contracts worth more than $500,000, and according to a White House fact sheet, it will be “implemented on new contracts in […]
Letters demanding that businesses fix accessibility violations or settle with the sender are now prohibited in California thanks to a law that took effect last week. The bill, SB 1186, amended state law “by prohibiting ‘demand for money’ letters, where attorneys target businesses with alleged minor access violations and demand a quick monetary settlement in […]
by Michael H. Dell Morristown has joined the list of New Jersey cities that require employers to provide paid sick time to employees. Employers in Morristown have until January 11 to come into compliance with the city’s paid sick time ordinance, which was passed in September. Under the ordinance, employers with 10 or more employees […]