Most Popular

Wal-Mart Hit with Mega-Million Verdict for Missed Breaks

A jury in Alameda County has slapped Wal-Mart with a $172 million verdict for denying employees legally required lunch breaks. The verdict came in after just three days of juror deliberation, following a four-month trial in the class-action lawsuit, which filed back in 2002 against the retail giant. Wal-Mart has said it plans to appeal.

New Hourly Rates For Exempt Computer Pros

Under California wage and hour law, computer software professionals can qualify for overtime exemption if they meet certain duties requirements and are paid a specified hourly rate, set annually based on inflation rates by the state Department of Industrial Relations. On Jan. 1, 2007, the minimum hourly rate for exempt computer software professionals will be […]

Bulletin: San Francisco minimum wage goes up

As of Jan. 1, 2008, employees who work in San Francisco (including temporary and part-time workers) must be paid at least $9.36 per hour (up from $9.14). Visit the SFGov.org website to access the required minimum wage poster. Remember that the state’s minimum wage jumps to $8.00 per hour on the first of the year. […]

Staffing Companies See Profits Gain Despite High Unemployment 

U.S. staffing companies are seeing a gain in 2010 profits despite a 26-year high in the national unemployment rate, reports Bloomberg’s Steve Matthews and Anthony Feld. Private companies hired fewer new employees last month than they did in each of the previous 10, with hiring the weakest on record since January. However, this has created […]

Changes Coming Fast and Furious for Government Contractors

Guest Post by: Susan Schoenfeld Senior Legal Editor Business & Legal Resources, Inc. While recently adding new compliance requirement to BLR’s legal analyses for government contractors and affirmative action, I thought about just how many changes have been made to the rules governing affirmative action and requirements for federal government contractors. To name a few […]

News Notes: New Health And Safety Guidance

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released two new useful publications to address workplace health and safety risks. First, OSHA has a new guide to help international business travelers avoid health risks. You can download the guide on the OSHA website. Second, OSHA has prepared a Heat Stress Card, which contains valuable information for […]

News Notes: U.S. Senators Back Plan For Mexican Guest Workers

In a recent meeting with President Vicente Fox of Mexico, a delegation of American senators led by Senator Phil Gramm (R-Texas) pledged to initiate a new guest worker program that would bring Mexican workers into the U.S. and effectively grant amnesty to as many as 7 million Mexicans currently working here illegally. According to Gramm, […]

Short Takes: Fingerprint Checks

We fingerprint employees and run a background check if they are going to be working with or near children. (We do it for current employees if they are transferring to such a job.) Are we required to provide these applicants/employees with the results of their fingerprint background checks?