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Wal-Mart Loses Class Action Certification Challenge in Huge Case
Last week, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s ruling that granted class-action status to a lawsuit—the largest civil rights suit in history—accusing Wal-Mart of sex discrimination in pay and promotions. The class is estimated to consist of up to 1.6 million current and former female employees of Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart unsuccessfully […]
Raises 2009 HR Hero Survey
It’s time for the annual HR Hero survey on raises and wages. This year in particular, many companies are having to take a hard look at their compensation packages and making tough decisions. What will your organization do? What will other organizations in your state or industry do? Take the survey then check out the […]
News Notes: Million-dollar Verdict in Family Leave Case
A Los Angeles jury ordered Sony to pay $1.4 million to Klaus Wang, a company technician for more than 14 years who was fired when he returned to work following a California Family Rights Act medical leave. Sony argued that Wang was terminated for poor job performance and the decision to fire him was made […]
Health Plans: HIPAA Nondiscrimination Rules to Take Effect
On July 1, 2007, new rules take effect regarding group health plan compliance with the nondiscrimination provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and wellness programs in particular. The rules are effective on the first day of the plan year beginning on or after July 1, 2007. For calendar year plans, the […]
FedEx May Owe Huge Tab for Diver Misclassification
FedEx Corp., which has been in the hot seat lately over allegations of misclassifying delivery drivers as independent contractors (see CWHA October 2007 and October 2006), could owe a whopping $319 million in back taxes and penalties because of the classification problems, the IRS has tentatively concluded. The IRS assessment, which pertains only to 2002, […]
Arbitration Of Disputes: Recent Cases Offer Insight Into When Courts Will Enforce—Or Throw Out—Flawed Arbitration Agreements
When the California Supreme Court approved mandatory arbitration for employment disputes last year, one question left unanswered was how existing arbitration agreements that don’t meet all the standards the court set forth would be handled. The contrasting approaches taken in two recent Court of Appeal decisions provide some guidance as to how the line will […]
News Notes: “Veganism” Isn’t A Religion
Southern California Permanente Medical Group revoked Jerold Friedman’s computer-related employment offer after he refused a required mumps immunization because the vaccine was grown in a chicken embryo. Friedman sued for religious discrimination, claiming the employer conditioned his employment on something that violated his vegan religious belief that it was immoral to kill and exploit animals, […]
Special from BLR’s National Employment Law Update: The Surprising Security Risk Posed by Your Photocopier
Your photocopier may be keeping copies of your records that have been scanned into the copier’s hard drive. You can access those records easily—and so can anyone else who knows how to work the copier’s hard drive. “That’s something everyone should be aware of,” said attorney Catherine Moreton Gray, speaking at BLR’s National Employment Law […]
Small Business Worried about Retirement Readiness, Not Big on Plans
Most U.S. small business owners think the country’s lack of retirement readiness threatens business and the economy, yet that concern doesn’t necessarily translate to concrete action to address it, a new survey has found. Only about one-third of small-business owners offer a retirement plan for their employees, according to “Poll Report: Small Business Owners’ Views on […]