Workers’ Compensation: CA High Court Hands Employers Big Victory
The California Supreme Court has handed down a ruling that could save employers and their insurers hundreds of millions of dollars in workers’ compensation benefits.
Tag: california hr
Employment Law Tip: Government Crackdown on Race Bias—Tips to Avoid Trouble
Recent statistics from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission show that charges of race discrimination now account for 36 percent of the agency’s private-sector caseload. And now, in light of these figures, the EEOC is putting the spotlight on workplace racial bias.
Discrimination: FedEx Enters Massive Race Bias Settlement
FedEx Corp. has agreed to pay out $53.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit charging that the company’s express delivery unit, FedEx Express, discriminated against African-American and Latino workers. The settlement, which is believed to be among the 10 most expensive discrimination settlements in U.S. history, affects about 20,000 employees in the company’s Western […]
Wage and Hour: Bush Vetoes Bill with Minimum Wage Increase
Last week, President Bush vetoed a spending bill to which a minimum wage increase was attached. The president’s veto message stated that he supports an increase in the federal minimum wage, but vetoed the bill because it included a timetable for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.
Employee Handbooks: Rule Banning Employee Fraternizing Gets Struck Down; What Employers Need to Know
To lower the risk of getting sued for sexual harassment, many companies have adopted nonfraternization policies, often focused on ensuring that romantic relationships, particularly those involving supervisors and their subordinates, don’t create a conflict of interest. Sometimes these policies are designed to avoid conflicts of interest with customers.
Employment Law Tip: Firm Up and Slim Down Your Workforce
In light of new evidence that overweight workers are costing U.S. businesses more, many employers may find new motivation to help their workers stay healthy and fit. If you’re not sure where to start or how to get a workplace wellness program up and running, consider the California 5 a Day—Be Active! Worksite Program, developed […]
Discrimination: Federal Bill Would Ban Sexual Orientation Bias
New legislation has been introduced at the federal level to prohibit employers from discriminating against individuals because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Health and Wellness: Obese Workers Pose Higher Workers’ Comp Costs
A new study from Duke University has found that obese workers file more workers’ compensation claims, have higher costs from those claims, and lose more days of work than non-obese workers.
Paid Sick Leave Measure Introduced in Congress
U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) have introduced the Healthy Families Act, legislation that, if passed, would guarantee seven paid sick days per year to employees working at least 30 hours a week at companies with 15 or more workers. The sick days could be used for the employee’s own medical […]