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In early January, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to raise the federal minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $7.25 per hour over a period of 26 months. The legislation did not include tax breaks to offset the impact on employers. Now, however, the measure has failed to win enough votes in the Senate, […]
The U.S. Department of Labor has announced that Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. will pay over $33 million in back wages to resolve errors in calculating overtime for 86,680 employees nationwide. According to the DOL, Wal-Mart brought the problem to the agency’s attention after an internal audit raised concerns regarding overtime computations, particularly with respect to incentives […]
In his State of the Union address to the nation last week, President Bush outlined a new plan to expand health care coverage for Americans. The plan would create a standard health insurance tax deduction, which would also act as a cap on the amount of employer-provided healthcare benefits that are tax-exempt.
Having problems with employee attendance? Here is a quick list of solutions—both proactive and reactive—that can help minimize employee absences from work.
In the December 2006 issue of the California Employer Advisor, we reported on a new ruling in which a California appeals court ruled that placing a video surveillance camera in an employees’ office, without notice, could amount to an invasion of privacy. This was true even though no actual viewing or recording of the employees […]
In an ironic twist, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has announced that Philadelphia-based Mothers Work, Inc., which does business as Motherhood Maternity, will pay $375,000 to settle a lawsuit charging that the maternity clothes retailer refused to hire pregnant applicants. In addition, the EEOC charged that the company retaliated against a former assistant manager, LaShonda […]
The beginning of a new year is an excellent time to whip your safety and health program into shape. Here are three high-value initiatives to help you protect workers and avoid health and safety citations while cutting the expense and effort associated with illness and injury:
By a vote of 315 to 116, the U.S. House of Representatives voted last week to approve legislation that would boost the federal minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $7.25 per hour in three steps over a period of 26 months. The measure now moves to the Senate for consideration.
On Feb. 5, 2007, the landmark San Francisco law (Proposition F) requiring paid sick leave for all employees in the city and county of San Francisco takes effect. The law, which was approved by San Francisco voters during last November’s election, requires employers to provide covered employees with one hour of paid sick leave per […]
Siebel Systems Inc. has agreed to shell out up to $27.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit charging that the company violated the California Labor Code and Wage Orders by classifying software engineers as exempt from overtime and failing to pay for overtime hours worked. The suit also alleged that the company illegally prohibited […]