Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
In the current issue of the California Employer Advisor, we report on a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulation mandating the steps an employer must take to verify an employee’s Social Security number (SSN) when the employer receives a “no-match” letter from the DHS or the Social Security Administration. Under the rule, employers would […]
An employee with HIV who wrote on a disability benefits application that he was unable to perform his job can still sue for discrimination, according to a new court ruling. For several years, Wells Fargo Bank had accommodated Andrew Bell by allowing him to telecommute one day a week, but the bank later decided Bell […]
Most employers know they need to seek a reasonable accommodation for disabled workers who are otherwise qualified to perform their jobs. But applying this rule to real-life situations can be complicated. What if an employee wants an accommodation that would require you to make an exception to your established seniority system? And how far do […]
Closely held corporations with religious objections cannot be required to provide contraception coverage under health care reform regulations because that would violate the owners’ rights under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the U.S. Supreme Court today ruled in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, No. 13-354 (Sup. Ct., June 30, 2014). The ruling could force the Obama administration […]
Stacey Detels, a claims representative for Farmers Insurance Exchange, took several weeks off of work after learning her toddler son’s caregiver may have been physically abusing him. Detels took her son to two health care providers to evaluate him, but the providers found no need for any treatment. Detels claimed that when she returned to […]
On Feb. 5, 2007, the landmark San Francisco law (Proposition F) requiring paid sick leave for all employees in the city and county of San Francisco takes effect. The law, which was approved by San Francisco voters during last November’s election, requires employers to provide covered employees with one hour of paid sick leave per […]
In response to health reform, some employers may stop offering health coverage and opt instead to pay a fine, give workers a raise and send them to state-run health insurance exchanges. Compensating for that , the individual mandate may drive about 4 million workers into employer plans, according to research from various sources compiled by […]
Over the past few years, pension benefits have come under increased scrutiny by employee advocates who claim benefits are often miscomputed and thus underpaid. If you’re targeted and it turns out you under-calculated retirees’ benefits, you might be surprised to find you owe a lot more money than you set aside. In response to the […]
A jury has handed down a $3.8 million verdict in favor of a hotel manager who complained of race discrimination, thanks to the employer’s overly aggressive reply to the worker’s lawsuit. Rabah Khatib sued his employer, Tower Corp., claiming that he was harassed and discriminated against because he is Arab-American. He also charged that his […]
Employers that retaliate against employees for reporting violations of certain health reform requirements could be subject to government investigations and hearings, as well as damages that include back pay awards and compensatory damages, under interim final rules issued Feb. 22 by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The rules flesh out […]