Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Does your workplace discriminate “unconsciously?” Courts aren’t sure, says Fortune magazine. But the EEOC isn’t waiting to find out. Despite years of the government, courts, and society in general fighting it, patterns of discrimination still exist at many businesses. Workers seem to be held down based on race, gender, or other factors. But while some […]
Six former ticket sales employees of the Seattle SuperSonics won more than $13 million in damages last year after being fired for complaining about overtime violations and retaliation. But now, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal, which covers California, has thrown out the retaliation claims. The court said the workers could not sue for retaliation […]
Even as the IRS announces it plans to issue guidance on the use of smartcards with qualified transportation fringe benefits, public comments on such guidance include allegations of impropriety from one vendor. The IRS asked for input on whether it should issue such guidelines (see related story) last May. Thompson Information Services requested copies of […]
It’s going to be a crazy year for health insurance—that’s for sure. How are your competitors going to handle it? How do you match up? Let’s find out. Participate in this brief survey and see how your health benefits stack up against those of other successful companies. The survey takes only a few minutes to […]
The IRS, taking pity on drivers fueling up at increasingly costly pumps, has upped the mileage reimbursement rate to 55.5 cents per mile for all business miles driven from July 1, 2011, through Dec. 31, 2011. This is an increase of 4.5 cents from the 51 cent rate in effect for the first six months […]
For an upcoming CED story on job descriptions, we’d like to hear your best practices and advice. Please send your best tips to jcarsen@employeradvice.com.
The U.S. Supreme Court has made it harder for employees to win punitive damages under federal anti-discrimination laws. The case involved a suit by a female attorney who claimed she was denied a promotion because of her sex. The court agreed with the employee that punitive damages are available when an employer acts with “reckless […]
The question of whether a male executive’s standard of attractiveness, which led to the firing of a female employee, violated the California Fair Employment and Housing Act will be answered by the state’s high court. The California Supreme Court has agreed to review Yanowitz v. L’Oreal USA Inc., which we covered in the May 2003 […]
If you receive a sexual harassment complaint, you must promptly investigate and impose corrective action to stop the harassment. But it’s less clear what you should do if you can’t substantiate the complaint. A new Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision focuses on how far you need to go in this situation.