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Retirement Plans: Automatic Enrollment Only Part of Equation for 401(k) Savings; Tips for Ensuring Quality Enrollment
Only 25 percent of the 300 mid- to large-sized employers polled in a survey by global HR-services company Hewitt Associates said they viewed a high participation rate in their 401(k) plans as the prime measure of the plans’ success. The survey indicated that more employers are placing less importance on the number of employees enrolled […]
Accommodating Disabilities: When You Don’t Have To Accommodate A Worker Whose Medical Condition Poses A Safety Threat
Norman Hutton, a diabetic who worked for Portland, Ore. based chlorine manufacturer Elf Atochem North America Inc., sued for disability discrimination after he was terminated following a series of on-the-job hypoglycemic episodes. Elf claimed it didn’t have to keep Hutton in his job because his condition created a direct safety threat to the workplace—and now […]
State High Court To Review PAGA Representative Action Ruling
Bulletin Item: Sexual Orientation Protections
Could sexual orientation protections be required in your workplace? The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Lawrence v. Texas, which struck down a state law prohibiting sodomy, could have sweeping implications for employers. Although many protections are already available to California employees, the court’s broad language suggests that gay employees may now enjoy more protections under […]
New Health Benefits Law Goes into Effect this Year
On October 9 of this year a new federal law—called Michelle’s Law—regarding who’s entitled to health benefits will go into effect. The law is named for Michelle Morse, a New Hampshire college student with cancer who continued with a full course load against her doctor’s advice in order to maintain health benefits under her parents’ […]
Employment Law Tip: Ready for the Minimum Wage Hike?
As we head into the last week of 2006, employers that haven’t done so already must take quick steps to ensure they’ll be ready to comply with the new California minimum wage come January 1.
Public Employers Don’t Have to Pay for Employee Uniforms
Private employers in California are required by law to pay for their workers’ uniforms. But a new ruling from a California appeals court says state and local government employers are generally off the hook for uniform reimbursement.
News Notes: EEOC Settles Lawsuit For $875,000
The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has announced an $875,000 settlement of a sex bias and retaliation class action lawsuit against Technicolor Videocassette Inc.’s Camarillo plant. The suit alleged that women at the plant, who worked in various departments duplicating videotapes, were subjected to repeated harassment by male co-workers and supervisors-including derogatory comments regarding […]
Most Prevalent Incentive Payments? Survey Says …
Approximately one-third of employers report that their organizations supplement wages and salaries with cash incentives in the form of individual or team awards, spot bonuses, and similar payments, according to a recent survey of Cash Compensation practices conducted by BLR. Long term incentive bonuses were most frequently reported to be paid to employees at the […]