Lawsuits: Proposition 64 Retroactive, Supreme Court Rules
The California Supreme Court has ruled that Proposition 64—approved by voters in November 2004—applies retroactively to cases pending at the time the measure took effect.
Tag: certification
Reasonable Accomodation: Our Employee Can’t Work in the Cold; What Do We Do?
We are a cold storage facility and recently received a doctor note for one of our employees indicating that the employee must not work in the freezer area. Our facility is divided into different temperature areas but is always at a cold temperature. What do I do moving forward with this employee? Her job requires […]
Governor Vetoes Minimum Wage and Other Bills
Governor Schwarzenegger has vetoed A.B. 48, which would have boosted the minimum wage for California workers to $7.75 an hour by July 2007. In a veto message, the governor stated that he supports an increase in the minimum wage–which hasn’t been boosted since 2002–but that he isn’t in favor of legislation, like A.B. 48, that […]
Big Bias Class Action Against FedEx Moves Forward
Last week, a federal judge in San Francisco granted class-action status to a lawsuit charging that approximately 10,000 African-American and Latino employees in FedEx Corp.’s western region were discriminated against on the basis of pay, discipline, and promotions. The company’s western region covers Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, […]
Family and Medical Leave: Court Rejects Employee’s Bid for FMLA Leave to Care for Pregnant Wife; Actual Care Required
Charles Tellis, an Alaska Airlines maintenance mechanic in Seattle, told his supervisor on July 4 that he needed time off because his wife was having difficulties with her pregnancy. His supervisor suggested Tellis contact the benefits department about taking leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Later that evening, instead of showing up […]
Family and Medical Leave: Ruling Makes It Tougher for Employees to Prove a Serious Health Condition Entitles Them to Leave; Medical Certification Requirements
Antonina Lonicki worked as a technician in the sterile processing department of Sutter Health Central in the Sacramento area. Lonicki performed the same work duties at a second job on weekends for Kaiser Permanente. Over time, Lonicki alleged, her Sutter workload increased and became hectic and stressful. One day, when Sutter unexpectedly changed Lonicki’s shift, […]
Domestic Partners: New Legislation Expands Workplace Rights, Benefits; Review Your Employee Handbook
Two new bills extending the rights and benefits provided to spouses to domestic partners were recently signed into law. We’ll take a look at the new laws. State Contractors Can’t Discriminate Under AB 17, certain state contractors have to provide employee benefits for registered domestic partners on the same basis as they do for spouses. […]
Family and Medical Leave: Accompanying Ill Spouse to Funeral Doesn’t Qualify for Protected Leave, Court Rules
Arnulfo Gradilla worked as a sheet metal assembler at Riverside County-based Ruskin Manufacturing. When his father-in-law died, he received permission to take two or three days off work to accompany his invalid wife to the funeral in Mexico. Gradilla’s wife had a serious heart condition that was exacerbated by stress.
Background Checks: New Consumer Report Rules In Effect Now; What’s Changed
Last year, Gov. Davis signed into law some controversial state consumer report rules. And now the governor has signed two new laws, A.B. 1068 and A.B. 2868, that revise the complicated consumer reporting process. The changes have taken effect immediately—and impact how you conduct workplace investigations, background checks and reference checks. Internal Background Check Rules RepealedUnder […]
Employee Leaves Of Absence: A Simple Explanation Of FMLA Requirements For Managers
Figuring out your obligations under the Family and Medical Leave Act can be tricky. But you can make compliance easier by educating your managers about the law’s basic requirements and some special rules under the California Family Rights Act. Here’s a checklist of basic facts and practical tips to help supervisors avoid the most common […]