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The national median jury award in employment-practice liability cases, which includes discrimination and wrongful termination claims, rose 18 percent in 2003 to $250,000, according to a new report from Jury Verdict Research. At the same time, the compensatory award median for discrimination cases—including age, race, disability, and sex bias—fell slightly by 2 percent to $232,322. […]
Could I get some clarification on whether we owe overtime on predetermined bonuses? We pay a production bonus to our assembly workers when they hit certain production levels. The bonus is not a great amount of money, but it does seem to keep production levels up. Now we’ve heard that we should somehow be paying […]
A disaster or tragedy is not over for workers simply because the event has ended, says the American Psychological Association. While humans are remarkably resilient, not everyone bounces back from a dreadful event with equal speed. As many as 20 percent of catastrophe survivors develop full-blown post-traumatic stress disorder, a clinical condition characterized by flashbacks, […]
During a series of Web chats held last week, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) unveiled an ambitious prevention program as part of its spring regulatory agenda. The program, known as I2P2, is a major paradigm shift for the department, and as a result, input on the development of the program will be worked […]
Several bills pending in Congress could impact your pension plans. HR 1102 would increase the amount workers can contribute to 401(k) accounts and require faster vesting of matching employer contributions. It would also introduce new Roth 401(k)s and 403(b)s, allowing employees to contribute after-tax dollars but receive tax-free retirement benefits. Another measure, S 659, would […]
There is some persistent confusion over what the implementation of the health reform law means for health flexible spending accounts and health savings accounts. The short answer is that with one exception, employers and plan administrators must follow different steps for health FSAs and HSAs. Understanding these steps is crucial, because the time to prepare […]
Emergency situations — such as the April 15 explosions during the Boston Marathon — can result in employees performing multiple job duties. For example, a store manager may have spent time cleaning up glass and debris in and around the store. This type of work does not normally qualify as the manager’s duty; however, the […]
As the Principal Financial Group® was conducting its wellness survey (see yesterday’s Advisor), Cornell University was conducting a wellness survey of its own—and demonstrating the importance of assessing needs before implementing. The responses of the 1,400 people who completed Cornell’s survey gave its wellness program clear indicators of where to focus its efforts. It also […]
Gov. Davis has signed legislation expanding the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) to prohibit job discrimination against transsexual and transgenderedapplicants and employees.
by Lorene Novakowski The British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal had no jurisdiction to hear a complaint where the alleged harasser was employed by a different employer than the alleged victim. The alleged harasser was not in a position of control over the complainant even though they worked at the same site. So the complaint was […]