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Cal/OSHA has issued an updated fact sheet outlining changes in its respirator regulations. The rules apply to all workplace respirator use except for tuberculosis protection. The fact sheet outlines the specific elements of a comprehensive, written program for respirator use that must be implemented by employers. As spelled out in the fact sheet, such a […]
A new study by Mellon Financial Corp. reveals that 81 percent of employers offer employee assistance programs, up from 70 percent in 1996, and 54 percent provide family sick days, up from 42 percent. Although only 6 percent of employers offered domestic partner benefits seven years ago, 35 percent of employers do now. The study […]
The economy may have slowly crept back up last year (as ABC News writes here; see also the Jan. 6 economic report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics), but that doesn’t mean that everything is rebounding. A new analysis by actuarial firm Milliman shows that the funding deficit for 100 of the largest pension plans […]
A new law (A.B. 1889) effective Jan. 1, 2001, prohibits employers who receive state contracts worth $50,000 or more from using the funds to assist, promote or deter union organizing. Each time a contractor requests payment from the state, it must certify that it is in compliance with this restriction and it must have records […]
The U.S. House of Representatives has approved legislation that would raise the maximum fine for violating the child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The Child Protection Act of 2007 (H.R. 2637) would raise from $11,000 to $50,000 the maximum fine for violations that cause the serious injury or death of an employee […]
With the economic slowdown, if you’re tempted to ask employees to take time off to cut costs and avoid layoffs, you probably won’t have legal problems with nonexempt, nonunion employees, but use caution when it comes to exempt workers. Under the wage and hour laws, you can’t dock the pay of exempt employees, because they […]
Retail giant Wal-Mart has agreed to pay up to $54.25 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the retailer of violating hours of work and break laws at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores in Minnesota. This settlement follows a judge’s decision last summer finding that Wal-Mart violated a host of wage and hour laws. Approximately 100,000 […]
The benefits of using nonemployee workers such as independent contractors are obvious: you don’t have to provide a contractor with expensive employee benefits, and you retain greater flexibility to quickly alter your workforce as needs change. But if you make a mistake and incorrectly classify an employee as an independent contractor, the consequences can be […]
Can paid time-off days be carried over from one year to the next? Response Percent Response Count Yes 77.8% 392 No 22.2% 112 Previous Next
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 […]