Month: January 2009

How to Grease the Skids for Your Employee’s Attorney

In yesterday’s Advisor, Whitney Warner shared secrets of winning lawsuits against employers. Today, more of her tips, and a policy system that’s designed to keep her and her ilk at bay. Warner is a partner with Moody & Warner, P.C., in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her remarks came at the recent Society for Human Resource Management […]

Congress Approves Equal Pay Bill

Both chambers of Congress have approved legislation that will extend the deadline for filing a pay-bias complaint under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The House voted 250 to 177 in favor of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (S 181) today. The Senate approved the legislation last week. President Barack Obama […]

Light Their Fire: Using Internal Marketing to Ignite Employee Performance and Wow Your Customers

Resources for Humans managing editor Celeste Blackburn reviews the book Light Their Fire: Using Internal Marketing to Ignite Employee Performance and Wow Your Customers by Susan Drake, Michelle Gullman, and Sara Roberts. In Light Their Fire: Using Internal Marketing to Ignite Employee Performance and Wow Your Customers, employee communications experts Susan Drake, Michelle Gullman, and […]

A Peek into Enemy Camp—Plaintiff’s Lawyer Spills Secrets

“When a case begins,” says plaintiff’s lawyer Whitney Warner, “I wonder if the employer will do something dumb and fall into my hands. And they usually do make my day.” Warner is a partner with Moody & Warner, P.C., in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her tips for fending off lawsuits came at the recent Society for […]

Time to Bring Out the Sled Dogs!

by Stephen Acker and Leanne Fioravanti More exotic modes of transport may need to be explored as Ottawa, Canada’s capital city, struggles with relentless snow storms and a highly controversial bus strike. Unfortunately there is no end in sight as the OC Transpo transit strike enters its second month in mid-January. This transit strike demonstrates: […]

Appraisals—Lots of Work, Any Benefit?

Appraisers and appraisees alike complain about performance evaluations. They’re a lot of work; they generate a lot of discomfort; and they don’t always produce a clear benefit. In today’s issue, step-by-step recommendations from BLR’s editors. 1. Get the Employee Started. Set a meeting date, and give the employee his or her self-appraisal materials well ahead […]

U.S. Supreme Court Issues Major Decision in Title VII Retaliation Case

The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled today (Jan. 26, 2009) that the anti-retaliation provisions of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 apply to employees who voluntarily cooperate with an employer’s internal investigations, even if the employee didn’t initiate the investigation and has filed no formal charge. In the case, Vicky Crawford was […]

Wal-Mart Settles Break Suit for $54.25 Million

Retail giant Wal-Mart has agreed to pay up to $54.25 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the retailer of violating hours of work and break laws at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores in Minnesota. This settlement follows a judge’s decision last summer finding that Wal-Mart violated a host of wage and hour laws. Approximately 100,000 […]

FedEx Settles Independent Contractor Suit for $26.8 Million

FedEx Corp. has agreed to shell out a whopping $26.8 million to end a long-running dispute over whether California delivery drivers in the company’s ground unit are independent contractors or employees. Last year, a California appellate court ruled in the case that about 200 ground drivers were misclassified as independent contractors. The drivers had sued […]

No Punitive Damages for Wage-Hour Violations, Court Says

A California court of appeals has ruled that an employee cannot recover punitive damages for the employer’s violations of state Labor Code provisions governing meal and rest breaks, pay stubs, and minimum wages.1 That’s because those Labor Code provisions include specific remedies, including penalties that are punitive in nature—and those are the only remedies available. […]