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House Passes Equal Pay Bills

The U.S. House of Representatives has approved two pieces of legislation that proponents say will boost protections against gender discrimination in compensation. The first, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to declare that an unlawful employment practice occurs when (1) a discriminatory compensation decision or […]

Hot List: New York Times Bestselling Paperback Business Books

The following is a list of the bestselling paperback business books as ranked by the New York Times on February 16. 1. Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan by Suze Orman. Managing your money in hard times. 2. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell. How and why certain […]

How Will Your Business Respond to Family Day?

by Brian Smeenk, formerly with McCarthy Tetrault A new statutory holiday, Family Day, has been declared in the province of Ontario. It will be celebrated on February 18. In subsequent years, it will fall on the third Monday of each February. Employers should begin considering how their organization will respond. In particular, employers should begin […]

NLRB’s New Required Poster Available

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has released the newly mandated poster it says is necessary to inform employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The Board issued the final rule requiring most private-sector employers to display the poster on August 25, and it must be in place by November 14. […]

Labor Union Numbers Remain Steady

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released figures showing that in 2005, 12.5 percent of wage and salary workers were union members, the same percentage as in 2004. Note that while the percentage remained steady, the actual number of union members increased by 213,000. Union membership was at a peak […]

News Notes: Latest Developments In Ergonomics

The debate over a national ergonomics standard continues. The Bush administration is currently reviewing the new ergonomics rules, and at least 31 lawsuits have been filed challenging them. Plus, the question of whether there is scientific support for the standard is still open. A long-awaited study by the National Academy of Sciences concluded that some […]

Legislation Special Report: Domestic Partners Defined

  Because the new laws make domestic partners eligible for the same benefits and workplace rights as spouses, it is important to understand the definition of “domestic partners.” Public and private employers must follow this definition with respect to any rights or benefits afforded domestic partners by law.