Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Employers that offer automatic enrollment for their 401(k) plans significantly increase employee participation, according to an annual study conducted by Hewitt Associates. The study, which examined the savings and investing habits of over 2.6 million employees, found that the overall participation rate of employees in companies offering automatic enrollment was 14 percent higher than the […]
Kim Pesky, a marketer for Stamford, Conn.-based Cendant Corp., took time off under state and federal family leave laws to care for her new baby. The project she was working on at the time her family leave began was purchased by another company, so the job she had left in effect no longer existed. Management […]
The U.S. Supreme Court issued two highly anticipated rulings related to same-sex marriage on June 26 that essentially placed matters of marriage back with the states. This has a direct impact on retirement plans. First, the Court held that Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional based on the equal protection […]
Three employees of the New York City Human Resources Administration are accused of taking part in a scheme which robbed $8 million dollars from the federal food stamp program, said the New York Times. The individuals had all either worked, or were currently working for the city, where the food stamp program was being administered. […]
Jacalyn Thornton, a part-time reporter for the Fresno Bee newspaper, spent about one-third of her time working at a computer keyboard. After she developed a repetitive stress disorder and became unable to use a keyboard, the paper terminated her. She sued, contending that her discharge violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Ninth Circuit Court […]
Gov. Davis has signed new legislation that boosts the penalties for various California Labor Code violations, effective Jan. 1, 2004. Here are the increases that are on the way:
First rule of auditing: Before you start, get legal advice on how to keep the results confidential. Otherwise, in the event of a suit, you’ll likely have to reveal the results of your audit. And the second rule of auditing: Be sure that management is willing to make corrections if infractions are found. If your […]
Doris Rowe, an exempt supervisor at Laidlaw Transit Inc., was restricted to part-time work after suffering an on-the-job injury. Laidlaw paid her by the hour while she was on the reduced schedule and resumed paying her salary when she returned to work full time. Rowe sued Laidlaw for back overtime, arguing that by paying her […]
Paula Green, who was hired by the Ontario office of Par Pools as a swimming pool construction superintendent, complained that her $400-per-week salary was lower than the salaries paid to male construction superintendents with jobs identical to hers. She sued Par Pools under the California equal pay law. But a California Court of Appeal dismissed […]
By Judith E. Kramer Fortney & Scott, LLC Update: November 1, 2011: The U.S. Department of Labor has extended the comment period until December 1, 2011. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is accepting comments through November 1 on revisions to its proposed regulations aimed at strengthening safety requirements for young workers employed in agriculture […]