Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced that in 2007, its Wage and Hour Division recovered $220,613,703 in back wages, the highest amount ever, on behalf of 341,624 workers. These back-wage collections exceeded the previous record levels from 2003 by 3.8 percent. In addition, the division assessed over $10.3 million in penalties in 2007.
California employers can breathe a deep sigh of relief: The California Supreme Court has just ruled that workers who use medical marijuana aren’t protected by the state’s disability bias law or the Compassionate Use Act.
Our healthcare premiums have gone through the roof (whose haven’t?), and management is putting pressure on me to get the costs down. They think we can have an impact by establishing health criteria to screen out applicants who will be likely to have high health bills, e.g., smokers, those who are overweight and/or have high […]
In an earlier blog article we discussed a recent appeals court decision which upheld a vague employment agreement clause. Although the employer prevailed in that case despite the unclear at-will language, it’s important to make an at-will employment arrangement clear to employees to avoid lawsuits. This week we provide you with sample policy language that […]
A California appeals court has rejected a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by a former State Farm insurance agent, ruling that the insurer could terminate the agent at will under the terms of an agency/employment agreement—even though the agreement didn’t use the term “at will.”
Over the last few weeks, several multimillion-dollar race and national origin settlements and verdicts have hit the headlines. The recent developments—all involving cases brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)—serve as reminders to all employers of the need to train managers on preventing workplace bias and to respond promptly and effectively to employee […]
On Jan. 1, 2008, the controversial San Francisco Health Care Security Ordinance went into effect, extending health coverage to uninsured residents and requiring medium- and large-sized employers to either provide employees with health benefits or pay a fee to the city to help fund the insurance program.
On Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008, Californians will go to the polls to vote in the presidential primary election—and this means it’s time for California employers to brush up on their voting leave and posting compliance duties. Here’s a quick checklist you can use:
President Bush has vetoed legislation that, among other things, would have amended the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to permit employees to use leave in certain circumstances when their spouse, child, or parent is called for active duty in the military. The FMLA amendment was part of a broader defense measure, H.R. 1585.
We have a service repair technician who is required to repair 12 instruments a year, but due to a three-month Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) absence was only able to repair six. May we view him as an unsatisfactory performer and reduce his merit raise? — Anonymous