Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Graduating college students are often warned that the content in their online profiles can hurt their chances of gaining employment. But as social media usage increases, so do the risks to employers, who are now seeing a rise in social media lawsuits. Next week the National Labor Relations Board will hear the case of a […]
Charles Sinatra, a long-time assistant principal with the Chico Unified School District, sued for wrongful termination in violation of public policy when the district refused his request for transfer to a part-time administrative position, instead giving him a full-time teaching assignment. He claimed he was “forced” to quit for exercising his statutory right under […]
Our story on a host of important bill spending in the legislature. As we go to press a couple of them have already been passed and are now on the governor’s desk for approval. They include the legislation requiring employersto notify employees if their e-mail will be monitored (A.B. 1822) and the measure that would […]
In what could be another economic blow to California employers, the actuarial committee of the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Ratings Bureau is recommending a midyear increase of 11 percent to the pure premium rate. This recommendation follows on the heels of 10.5 percent increase that took effect on January 1, 2003. Note that the pure premium […]
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration has issued a fact sheet to help employees preserve their health care coverage after layoffs or a reduction in hours. It outlines the options available to employees, such as COBRA continuation coverage or special enrollment in another group plan.
Meeting COBRA election notice requirements can be tricky – and even a minor oversight can potentially be expensive. A recent opinion letter from the Department of Labor clarifies the process for providing COBRA election notices to households with more than one qualified beneficiary. If several beneficiaries live at the same address, you can send their […]
A new U.C. Berkeley study concludes that employees who drink off the job are more likely to file workers’ comp claims. The research focused on San Francisco Municipal Railway drivers’ alcohol consumption, medical histories and workers’ compensation claims over a five-year period. In light of this finding, you may want to consider offering employee assistance […]
Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi has announced he will recommend a 16.4 percent decrease in the workers’ compensation pure premium rate for policies starting on or after July 1, 2006. This recommendation is the latest in a string of recommended rate reductions since July 2003, when workers’ comp reforms went into effect. The cumulative recommended reductions […]
The United States Supreme Court recently held that when an employee brings a claim of discrimination, the employee may rely on circumstantial evidence to prove that the employer was motivated in part by illegal factors (such as the worker’s age, sex, religion, etc.). In a future article we will outline what this means for employers […]
The U.S. Department of Labor has just announced the launch of its first application for smartphones: a timesheet to help employees independently track the hours they work and determine the wages they are owed. Available in English and Spanish, users can track regular work hours, break time, and any overtime hours for one or more […]