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Class Actions on the Rise—Are You Next?

One of the most feared phrases in the HR lexicon is “class action” or how to turn a one-employee small suit into a many-employee gigantic suit. Today we will look at survey data on class actions and at the best tool for preventing them. In yesterday’s Advisor we looked at lawsuit cost data from law […]

Retaliation: High Court Limits Whistleblower Protections for Public Employees

Last week the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that when public employees make statements as part of their official duties, those statements are not protected free speech. The case involved Richard Ceballos, a deputy district attorney for Los Angeles County who claimed his supervisors retaliated against him for sending a memo that said an affidavit […]

News Notes: Federal Labor Law Superseded Lawsuit Claiming Pay for Family Leave Time

Verizon employee Denise Harris was granted family and medical leave for a bad back. Under the union contract covering Harris’ employment, Verizon paid Harris sick pay benefits during the first part of her leave, but cut off her benefits when she didn’t provide a physician’s report confirming she couldn’t work. Harris sued, claiming the failure […]

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 […]

News Notes: Employee Gets Green Light To Take Military Leave Claims To Jury

  Michael Mills alleged that his time-off requests for weekend National Guard duty were met with hostility from his employer, Earthgrains Baking Co. And when his Guard duty became mandatory after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the company allegedly threatened him to get out of the duty “or else.” Eventually Mills was fired following a two-week […]

Feds Consider Requiring Contractors to Meet 7% Hiring Goal for Workers With Disabilities

Federal contractors will have to meet a 7 percent hiring goal for individuals with disabilities under a U.S. Department of Labor proposal announced December 8.  DOL’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (41 C.F.R. 77056) which included, among other things, a mandate that employers aim to have individuals with […]

Ideas Worth Thinking About: Would You Hire You?

What kind of employee do you think your employers planned on getting when they hired you? Someone who appreciates: The company’s need to make a profit and who feels a responsibility to help in every way possible? The need for keeping production up and costs down in order to compete successfully in the market? The […]

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 […]