Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has published a new report with practical recommendations for how employers can prevent work-related roadway crashes, which have become the leading cause of job-related fatalities nationwide. The tips are useful not just for companies that employ full-time professional drivers such as truckers but also for employers […]
We reported in September on a federal appeal court ruling that Xerox Corp.’s pension plan improperly calculated lump-sum distributions from cash balance retirement accounts, resulting in lower benefits for certain employees who left the company between 1990 and 1999. Now Xerox has agreed to pay $239 million to settle the lawsuit, ending speculation over whether […]
By a vote of 5 to 1, the California Senate Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations has approved a new bill, SBX4 1, to repeal the recent workers’ compensation reform measures (AB 227 and SB 228) set to take effect Jan. 1, 2004. The repeal measure will now go before the Senate Appropriations Committee.
It is anticipated that new Fair Labor Standards Act regulations will be approved early this year. We’ll continue to monitor the developments and guide you through what these changes will mean to your business.
By agreeing to review the case of Pennsylvania State Police v. Nancy Drew Suders, the Supreme Court will now determine whether employers will face the same liability in these situations as they do for supervisor harassment. We’ll keep an eye on the court and give you a thorough analysis of its decision when it becomes […]
The EDD has now told us the new law allows an employee who has taken disability pregnancy leave to take six weeks of paid family leave, contrary to our statement in last month’s issue. The law is (seemingly) contradictory in several places. If clarification is provided, we’ll let you know. In the meantime, employers need […]
Because the new law opens all California employers up to liability for harassment of workers by nonemployees, it’s critical to take steps to prevent and address these situations. Here’s what you can do to avoid potential harassment complaints—and expensive liability—involving your customers, vendors, or other nonemployee business associates:
Leave for Crime Victims and Their Families Under SB 478, employees who are the victims of serious crimes and relatives and domestic partners of crime victims can take unpaid leave from work to attend legal proceedings. This new law applies to all employers, regardless of how many employees you have. Be sure to immediately update […]
Smoking by Public Employees Under existing law, neither employees nor members of the public may smoke inside a state-owned or state-occupied building, or a state-leased and state-occupied building, or within five feet of the main exit or entrance of these buildings, or in a state-owned passenger vehicle.
Because the new laws make domestic partners eligible for the same benefits and workplace rights as spouses, it is important to understand the definition of “domestic partners.” Public and private employers must follow this definition with respect to any rights or benefits afforded domestic partners by law.