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Stress Takes Its Toll

Employee stress is a problem that affects all businesses and it has reached a point where it can’t be ignored any longer, say the experts. The causes of a stressful work environment are clear. The most oft-cited reason is over-work. As many as three in 10 employees feel chronically overworked, according to a study by […]

Overtime Pay: Workers Seek Back Pay For Meal Periods

Under strict new rules adopted last year by the state Industrial Welfare Commission, you may be liable for a penalty of an additional hour’s pay for each day that you fail to provide a nonexempt employee with a required meal break, unless they’ve consented in writing to an on-duty meal period. Now three former employees […]

Workers’ Compensation: When You Could Be Liable For Injuries During An Employee’s Commute

San Diego police officer Stephen Molnar was subpoenaed to testify in court on a work-related matter on a day he wasn’t scheduled to report for duty. While driving his personal car from home to the courthouse, he was injured in an automobile accident. Molnar filed a workers’ compensation claim, which was ultimately denied. We’ll explain […]

Labor Extends Comment Period for Caregiver Rule

The Labor Department  has extended the comment period for its proposed rule to provide minimum wage and overtime protections for in-home companions by nine days, the agency announced in a March 9 release. The division published a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register on Dec. 27, 2011, with a comment period originally set […]

Romney: Repeal and Replace Health Reform Law With More Consumerism, Tax-based Incentives

GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney recently provided more details on his own health reform plan, stating that if elected, on his first day in office, says he will issue an executive order for the federal government to issue health reform waivers to all 50 states, and immediately work on repealing the health reform law passed […]

News Notes: Insurance Commissioner Seizes Workers’ Comp Insurer

The state Insurance Commissioner has taken over control of Golden Eagle Insurance Co., California’s third largest workers’ compensation carrier. The action grew out of concerns about Golden Eagle’s financial solvency. The Insurance Commissioner is optimistic that several insurers will join together to operate Golden Eagle’s business through a new company, San Diego Casualty Insurance Co. […]

Our Readers Talk Back: ‘No Jerks’ Proposal Brings Out ‘C.A.V.E. People’ and ‘Loyal Oppositionists’

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady Bob Brady’s recent column on whether to have a “No jerks!” rule banning antagonistic empoyees brought intriguing responses. One reader expects “a little jerkiness” in everyone, and another invokes the “C.A.V.E.” rule. Here’s a sampling: “C.A.V.E. People and Loyal Oppositionists” “We’ve coined the phrase ‘C.A.V.E. people’ [standing for] […]

WSJ’s Top Small Workplaces: How Teamwork Helps

In yesterday’s Advisor, we listed common traits of The Wall Street Journal’s 15 top small companies. Today we’ll explore one of those traits—teamwork—taking our cue from a unique BLR resource, Managing an HR Department of One. For many of the top small workplaces, teamwork is an important part of the structure and atmosphere. Why is […]

Workers’ Compensation: Governor Signs Reform Package, Employers to Soon See Savings

Gov. Davis has signed landmark legislation to reform California’s troubled workers’ compensation system and put a lid on the upward spiral in workers’ comp costs faced by California employers. And now, after having pored over the numbers, the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB) has recommended that the 12 percent pure premium rate increase scheduled […]