Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
by Michael Futterman and Jaime Touchstone As fast-food and other low-wage workers protest for pay raises and President Barack Obama pushes for a higher federal minimum wage, California employers need to prepare for a $1 increase in the state’s minimum wage. California’s minimum wage will rise to $9 an hour on July 1 before hitting […]
by Matthew A. Brown An amendment to the Indiana Civil Rights Act (ICRA) going into effect July 1 means employers should assess their policies and practices to ensure they don’t discriminate on the basis of an applicant’s or employee’s status as a veteran. Indiana House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1242 adds veteran status to the protected […]
Left unaddressed, cyberbullying can become a liability issue for employers, says Rob Wilson, president of Employco USA (www.employco.com), who recommends that employers educate employees on the topic. Many employers do not offer this type of training. “It’s not very broadly done,” says Wilson. However, he says it is important for employers to proactively address cyberbullying. […]
Half of employers in a recent survey have seen an increased demand from employees for financial education in the past 5 years, and 68 percent now offer some kind of financial education to their employees/plan participants. Preliminary findings of the survey report, “Financial Education for Today’s Workforce: 2014 Survey Results,” show that there is a […]
by Philip Bruce Oklahoma has joined the ranks of states that limit employers’ ability to require access to applicants’ and employees’ social media accounts. Governor Mary Fallin signed the law on May 21, and it will go into effect on November 1, 2014. The law prohibits almost all employers from requiring employees or prospective employees […]
by John R. Merinar, Jr., and Carolyn A. Wade A new West Virginia law taking effect June 4 means employers in the Mountain State must make reasonable accommodations to a job applicant’s or employee’s known limitations involving pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. The Pregnant Workers’ Fairness Act amends the West Virginia Human Rights Act. […]
by Amy Kunkel-Patterson The Seattle employment community is abuzz about the prospect of a $15 minimum wage for all Seattle employees, which would make it the highest minimum wage in the nation. The idea isn’t new. In the fall of 2013, voters in the city of SeaTac passed a $15 minimum wage initiative, and Kshama […]
On May 20, Pennsylvania became the latest state to have its same-sex marriage ban barred when a federal district judge struck down the state’s 1994 law. The decision, which followed a similar ruling in Oregon a day earlier, makes Pennsylvania the 19th state to allow same-sex marriage. After the ruling, Governor Tom Corbett said he […]
The end of Oregon’s ban on same-sex marriage means employers need to take a look at their benefits policies and what laws require in terms of married couples. U.S. District Judge Michael McShane ruled on May 19 that the ban on same-sex marriage, which was added to the state constitution after voters passed Measure 36 […]
The new Minnesota Women’s Economic Security Act (WESA)—an amalgamation of changes designed to “close the gender gap” by breaking down barriers to economic progress for women—has begun to take effect. Governor Mark Dayton signed WESA into law on Mother’s Day earlier this month. Some of the changes were “effective upon enactment,” which means they went […]