Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The state high court has refused to throw out a $355,200 damage award to a lesbian employee who claimed she was fired after confiding to her boss she was gay. Jan Overholtzer worked for 18 years in the West Contra Costa Unified School District print shop. She said she revealed her sexual orientation to her […]
By Robert Brady President and Publisher Business and Legal Resources Just My E-pinion It’s been a struggle (to say the least) to manage compensation with all the recent economic pressures. With little or no money available, how do you keep employees motivated? Help us find out by completing our brief cash compensation survey—and we’ll share […]
Seasonal workers who are hurt on the job are not entitled to 12 months of continuous modified or alternative work as a replacement for vocational rehabilitation benefits, a California Court of Appeal has ruled. The case involved Jennifer Henry, a ski instructor at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. After she injured her back, Henry requested vocational […]
In an appeal by the Cleveland Indians baseball team, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that back wages are subject to federal Social Security and unemployment taxes in the year they are paid, rather than in the year they were earned. The dispute arose out of a settlement of grievances asserted by major league baseball […]
By Seth Kahan HR’s responsibility to recruit and develop the right team of leaders is critical to business success—shirk that responsibility at your peril, says consultant Seth Kahan, author of Getting Change Right: How Leaders Transform Organizations from the Inside Out. This article is an excerpt of Kahan’s coming book, Getting Innovation Right, due out […]
The best way to fight age discrimination lawsuits isn’t before a jury, but with preventive practices and proactive strategies that keep you out of court in the first place. The California Employer Advisor’s Special Report, “The Complete Guide to Understanding and Preventing Age Bias in the Workplace,” gives you information on what constitutes age discrimination […]
In an important ruling for unionized employers, the National Labor Relations Board has overturned 50 years of precedent and changed the rules for employers who wish to withdraw recognition of a union that may have lost majority support. Under the old rule, an employer could withdraw recognition based on a good-faith belief that the union […]
Supervisors don’t just need to understand the challenges faced by minorities and the legal ramifications, they must also experience what it’s like to be a minority within the organization, says Rene Petrin, who, as president of Boston-based Management Mentors, sets up corporate mentoring programs for clients. “One of the most effective ways to translate theory […]
Even in a strong economy, employers often feel the need to be money-conscious. After all, the basic profit equation is pretty simple: The money I earn minus the money I spend equals my profit. For most businesses, particularly in the service sector, salaries make up a huge portion of company costs and overall revenue.