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by Tammy Binford The ballot question making changes to New Jersey’s minimum wage was presented to voters in the November 5 election and passed easily, but many business leaders are uneasy about the change. By a 60-40 percent vote, voters passed Public Question 2, which will raise the state’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.25 […]
by Calvin L. Keith Veterans Day is coming up on November 11, and a new law in Oregon makes the day even more significant for veterans who want the day off. The 2013 Oregon Legislature passed a bill requiring employers to provide veterans with paid or unpaid time off on Veterans Day. “Veterans” include those […]
by Tammy Binford Although the U.S. Senate voted in favor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) on November 7, final passage of the bill, which would prohibit employers from discriminating against employees and applicants based on their sexual orientation and gender identity, faces an obstacle in the House. The Senate voted 64-32 to pass the […]
by David K. Reid Employers need to be ready for New Jersey’s new social media privacy law, which takes effect December 1. The law prohibits employers from requiring applicants and employees to disclose their user names and passwords for personal social media accounts or otherwise provide access to their accounts. The law doesn’t apply to […]
by Amy Kunkel-Patterson Seattle’s new law restricting the use of criminal background checks takes effect November 1. The Job Assistance Ordinance prohibits employers from requiring applicants to disclose arrest or conviction records as part of initial job applications. It also restricts how employers may use arrest and conviction records that eventually are disclosed. A number […]
The stellar alumni list includes many of the original “Not Ready for Prime Time Players” (Akyroyd, Belushi, Murray, and Radner), as well as Tina Fey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jane Lynch, and Steve Carrell of “The Office.” But now, the organization has branched out into workplace training, using humor to engage participants, of course. “Humor gets people […]
by Peter A. Jones A new law going into effect October 29 means employees of New York hospitals and residential healthcare facilities may not smoke anywhere on the grounds or within 15 feet of any entrance or exit to a building or the grounds of such facilities. The law allows a narrow exception for patients […]
The Seymour, Connecticut-based company has four dealer networks that provide services in waterproofing, crawl space repair, foundation structural repair, and basement finishing. “It’s a dealer network, not a franchise. We actually operate on a handshake,” says Larry Janesky, president of Basement Systems (www.basementsystems.com). The company makes money when dealers sell Basement Systems products, so “we’re […]
by Charles S. Plumb Effective November 1, 2013, two Oklahoma statutes governing how an employer addresses tobacco use in its workplace or by its employees will be revised. Under the new 21 Okla. Stat. § 1247, lighted tobacco products in any form are prohibited in indoor workplaces. With a few exceptions, this prohibition includes work […]
Not many of us will ever earn a 7-figure salary, and it’s hard to imagine that someone who earns millions of dollars per year would need financial counseling. But the National Football League (NFL) Players Association (NFLPA) says financial education is important for its members because most NFL players earn the majority of their lifetime […]