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Short Takes: Benefits
Once we hire an employee, we provide full medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage to the employee, spouse, and children. Are we able to request marriage certificates and birth certificates for eligible family members for the purpose of insurance benefits? We have found that employees will often list nonrelatives for insurance benefits (e.g., a boyfriend, […]
NLRB resurrects proposal on speeding up union elections
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is reprising its 2011 effort to change the rules related to union representation—an effort that sparked opposition from employers then and will surely do so again. A statement from the NLRB says that in substance, the proposed amendments are identical to the representation procedure changes first put forth in […]
Flexible Workweek Measures
Employee Leave: Update on SF Sick Leave Ordinance
On Feb. 5, 2007, San Francisco’s controversial paid sick leave law went into effect. Under the new law, all employees working in the City and County of San Francisco accrue paid sick leave at the rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked, up to a maximum of 72 hours (or 40 hours for […]
The #1 Most-Easily-Prevented Lawsuit
Retaliation claims are on the rise, and it’s no surprise, says attorney Joseph L. Beachboard. They’re relatively easy to establish and they often pay off even when the underlying charge is not sustained—but they’re also easy to prevent. What makes retaliation suits so easy to bring? asks Beachboard, who is a shareholder in the Los […]
Safe Driving on the Job: What You Can Do to Avoid Motor Vehicle Crashes
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death at work. The highest rate of fatal work-related crashes occurs in the transportation, communications, and public utilities industries, but employees who drive on the job in any industry are at risk. Thus, if your employees […]
Health Care: California Health Care Reform Gets a Step Closer
The California Assembly has voted in favor of a landmark health care reform measure—A.B. x1 1, the Health Care Security and Cost Reduction Act—which is backed by Gov. Schwarzenegger. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration. If approved there and signed by the governor, the bill would then go to voters in November […]
Supreme Court Sends ERISA Case Back to Lower Court for Second Look
Yesterday, May 16, 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court held that a district court must take another look at a case that will determine whether approximately 25,000 employees are entitled to have their pension benefits recalculated under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Although the Supreme Court indicated that the employees may be eligible for […]
News Flash: Workplace Legislation Update
There is a lot of important new legislation affecting the workplace that Gov. Davis has signed into law. As the final hour for approving legislation approached, the governor vetoed bills to increase workers’ comp benefits, boost unemployment payments, expand leave for family and medical care, ban secret monitoring of employee e-mail and computer records, and […]