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Cal/OSHA Enforcing Heat Rules as Temps Rise Across the State

As temperatures rise across California, Cal/OSHA is stepping up enforcement of heat illness prevention requirements at outdoor worksites across the state. The agency targets employers who evade the law, which protects employees from heat-related illness. Enforcement efforts include statewide traveling “heat sweeps.” These are local district actions launched when temperatures soar and workers are at […]

Amid Criticism, Labor Withdraws Plan to Limit When Children May Work on Farms

The U.S. Department of Labor is abandoning its plan to limit when children under the age of 16 can work on farms. The plan, proposed in the fall, limited the Fair Labor Standards Act’s “parental exemption” and was intended to help reduce farm-related accidents. Introducing the now-defunct proposal, DOL officials said they were responding to […]

News Notes: Court Says Restaurant Can Deduct Credit Card Service Fees From Tips

California law forbids employers from taking any part of an employee’s tips. But a trial court has decided this rule didn’t prevent The Castaway restaurant in Burbank from withholding a portion of waiters’ tips that were paid with credit cards to help defray charge card transaction fees the restaurant had to pay. The state Labor […]

Ban Raises Texting-Driving Issues that Go Beyond Big Rigs

The federal Transportation Department’s announcement banning texting by drivers of commercial vehicles is sure to make employers think twice about their policies even if they don’t have trucks or buses on the road. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood made the announcement January 26 that an interpretation of standing rules prohibits texting by drivers of commercial […]

National-Origin Discrimination, Part 1: EEOC Issues New Guidance; What You Need to Know

Because of increasing diversity in the workforce—and a spike in discrimination complaints since the events of Sept. 11, 2001—taking steps to avoid national-origin bias is more critical than ever. Now, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has released updated guidelines to help employers understand the prohibitions against national-origin discrimination and to suggest best practices for […]