Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
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. […]
In calculating profit-based bonuses for certain store employees, Ralph’s Grocery Co. subtracts the store’s workers’ compensation costs as well as cash and merchandise shortages. David Swanson, a former Ralph’s store manager in Southern California, filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of himself and other employees challenging these bonus deductions. He claimed the grocer violated […]
The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has published a new fact sheet with guidance on how the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to the hiring process. The fact sheet, available at www.eeoc.gov, addresses employer obligations to accommodate disabled applicants and medical inquiries that are and are not permissible during the hiring process.
The new Health Insurance Act of 2003, signed into law by Gov. Davis, requires many California businesses to either provide health coverage to part- and full-time employees or pay a fee into a state health coverage fund. Here’s a summary of the law.
Gov. Davis has approved legislation taking aim at corporate corruption. The new laws, modeled on the federal Sarbanes-Oxley Act, protect employees who blow the whistle on possible corporate transgressions, create steep new fines for not disclosing corporate financial fraud, and add an important new workplace posting requirement. Here’s an overview of what you need to […]
Gov. Davis has signed landmark legislation to reform California’s troubled workers’ compensation system and put a lid on the upward spiral in workers’ comp costs faced by California employers. And now, after having pored over the numbers, the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB) has recommended that the 12 percent pure premium rate increase scheduled […]
Last month, as a follow-up to recent Supreme Court affirmative action rulings, we explored the reasons to adopt diversity practices in your workplace and how to implement a diversity program. This month we’ll look at best practices to help ensure your diversity program is successful and legal.
Freddy Hernandez, a lead technician for Spacelabs Medical Inc. in Chatsworth and then in Redmond, Wash., was abruptly terminated after 20 years on the job—just weeks after he reported that a supervisor harassed a co-worker. We’ll explain why the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers California, said Hernandez can sue Spacelabs for retaliation.
Diabetes is a major health problem affecting more than 17 million Americans—about 6.2 percent of the population—according to the American Diabetes Association. Chances are you might have an employee who asks you for a reasonable accommodation related to the disease. We’ll tell you about a new ruling that focuses on this issue and suggest ways […]
Gov. Davis has signed new legislation that boosts the penalties for various California Labor Code violations, effective Jan. 1, 2004. Here are the increases that are on the way: