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News Notes: Aging Hollywood Writers Get Green Light For Lawsuits
A California appeals court has ruled that a group of Hollywood screenwriters can proceed with 23 class action age-bias lawsuits against the major studios, television networks, talent agencies, and production companies. The lawsuits, filed by the Writers’ Guild of America, allege that the studios, networks, and production companies crafted a “youth-oriented corporate culture that indiscriminately […]
News Notes: New Case Focuses On Union Contract Exception To Overtime Pay Rates
California overtime pay rules don’t apply to unionized employees if the union contract sets premium overtime rates as well as a regular hourly rate that’s at least 30% over the minimum wage. Examining an older version of this exemption, a California Court of Appeal explained that it permits an employer and union to negotiate how […]
It’s Misconception: The Poor Economy Didn’t Make Hiring Any Easier
There may be a tendency for your hiring managers, and even HR recruiting professionals, to take a more relaxed attitude toward the hiring process in view of the current state of the employment market and the fact that many people are out of work. Thinking that they have more time to make decisions, employment recruiters […]
Increased Social Media Usage = More Risks for Employers
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 […]
News Notes: Courts Adopt Internet Policy but Won’t Monitor E-Mail
Employer monitoring of employee Internet access is a hot issue. Federal Ninth Circuit judges recently jumped into the fray by shutting off surveillance software that monitored court employees’ Internet use, stating that such monitoring without prior notice to employees could be illegal. Now the body that governs the federal court system is requiring federal courts […]
E-Alert Item: Workers’ Compensation: Rates May Be Headed Up Yet Again
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 […]
News Notes: Employer Not Responsible For Sexual Assault Of Student
A California Court of Appeal has thrown out a jury award against an employer accused of negligently allowing a teacher’s aide to repeatedly sexually assault an 11-year-old emotionally disturbed student. The court said the employee’s acts were personal and had no purpose connected to his employment. The court noted that for the employer to be […]
Who Can Access Your HR Data?
The greatest threat to HR data often isn’t a sophisticated cyberattack; it’s an outdated permission, an unnecessary copy, or a confidential file sitting somewhere nobody thought to check. As employee information spreads across increasingly complex storage environments, simply knowing who can access it becomes a challenge in its own right. Sending an email to the […]
Tech Companies Ahead of the Curve on Paid Leave
By Susan Schoenfeld, JD In technology, innovation is the key to economic survival. So it is not surprising that, recently, two tech industry giants announced innovation in paid leave benefits for their employees as a means of attracting and retaining top talent.