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The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal has decided to review its ruling last year upholding mandatory arbitration of bias claims. The case involves secretary Donald Lagatree, whose job offer at the law firm of Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps was revoked when he refused to sign a binding arbitration agreement. A three-judge panel sided […]
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is offering a “Cold Stress Card” that recommends ways to avoid health problems caused by prolonged exposure to freezing or cold temperatures on the job. According to OSHA, workers in construction, commercial fishing, maritime, and agriculture are at highest risk for these problems, which can include trench foot, […]
The U.S. Labor Department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (formerly the Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration) has finalized rules for implementing a new federal law requiring 401(k) plans to give workers 30-day advance notice of blackout periods during which they can’t make transactions. The rules took effect on January 26, 2003.
In an earlier article, we reported on a lawsuit filed by employees of fashion retailer Polo Ralph Lauren charging that the employer violated wage and hour rules by requiring them to spend their own money on the company’s clothing to wear on the job. Now two other high-profile retailers—Gap Inc. and Abercrombie & Fitch—have been […]
A jury in Manhattan, New York, has awarded $11.2 million to the former general manager of Leona Helmsley’s luxury Park Lane Hotel. The worker claimed he was fired because his is gay. Former manager Charles Bell charged that Helmsley embarked on a campaign of harassment against him—and ultimately discharged him after just four months on […]
On February 20, 2003, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board held a public meeting to consider a petition filed by the California Labor Federation to alter the requirements of the state’s ergonomic rule. At the meeting, the standards board voted to convene an advisory committee to consider the petition, which seeks to drop […]
Stacey Detels, a claims representative for Farmers Insurance Exchange, took several weeks off of work after learning her toddler son’s caregiver may have been physically abusing him. Detels took her son to two health care providers to evaluate him, but the providers found no need for any treatment. Detels claimed that when she returned to […]
Darcy Jensen, a module team builder for Amgen Inc., filed a workers’ comp claim as a result of health problems that she believed stemmed from exposure to laboratory animals. Several months later, the company discovered mold in the building where Jensen had worked. Jensen eventually sued Amgen under an exception to the workers’ compensation system […]
Last month, the Industrial Welfare Commission rejected a labor-backed petition to increase the state minimum wage, currently at $6.75 per hour. The California Labor Federation reintroduced the petition for IWC consideration at a February 21, 2003 public meeting. But the IWC has once again rejected the petition.
Last year, Cal/OSHA implemented new injury and illness recording rules to be phased in over five years. The new rules updated the requirements for posting, retaining and reporting work-related injuries and illnesses. Many of the key changes are taking effect in 2003—including the injury and illness information that must be posted starting in February. We’ll […]