Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Several counties, and possibly other public employers as well, may soon be paying out a lot more in retirement benefits. The reason is a new decision by the state Supreme Court that said a Southern California county improperly excluded certain cash payments when calculating pensions under the County Employees’ Retirement Law. Retirees File Suit In […]
Guest Post by: Patricia M. Trainor Managing Editor, HR Business & Legal Resources, Inc. As I get ready to update HR.BLR.com’s Union topic, I’ve been reviewing the pro-union surge of activity at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which now has a majority of Obama appointees. Employers, including non-unionized employers, should be alert for upcoming […]
The state Insurance Commissioner has recommended a 10.5% increase in the pure premium rates for workers’ compensation insurance as of Jan. 1, 2003. The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau had requested a 13.4% increase, but the commissioner questioned some of the bureau’s future cost estimates.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld San Francisco’s landmark domestic partner benefits ordinance, which requires that companies doing business with the city must offer equal benefits to domestic partners and married spouses of employees. The court rejected a constitutional challenge by an Ohio company whose bid for a contract with the city was […]
We employ a number of workers in outdoor jobs during the summer. With summer heat coming on, are there Cal/OSHA requirements we need to comply with in this regard? —Sarah G., HR Manager in Marina del Rey
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a proposed rule that would force 401(k) plan administrators to report compensation they derive directly and indirectly from their services. In addition, the rule would require plan administrators to disclose in writing potential conflicts of interest to plan fiduciaries, namely employers. The regulation’s main purpose is to […]
Francisco Vasquez, a Los Angeles County probation officer, sued the county for discrimination and retaliation after he was involuntarily transferred and a warning letter was placed in his personnel file. The federal Ninth Circuit threw out Vasquez’s lawsuit, however, finding neither act was an adverse employment action. The transfer wasn’t adverse simply because Vasquez preferred […]
Over the past year, many employers have seen a huge jump in their workers’ comp premiums—and even bigger hikes may be on the way. The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau has just reported that the California workers’ compensation insurance industry is under-reserved by a startling $13.7 billion. The WCIRB attributes the deficit to, among other […]
By now, you’ve probably seen (or at least heard about) Marina Shifrin’s viral “quit-eo,” in which she announces her plans to depart her job at a Taiwanese video animating company via homemade dance video – filmed at 4:30 am in her soon-to-be-former, cubicle-filled office: