Health Benefits Reminder: New COBRA Rules Take Effect; What You Need To Know
Last March we reported on changes coming to the COBRA rules. Here is a quick rundown on the highlights of the updated regulations that take effect January 1.
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Sexual Harassment Lawsuits: State High Court Says Co-Workers Can’t Be Sued
In an important new ruling, the California Supreme Court has held that employees who are harassed by co-workers cannot seek damages from the employees who actually did the harassing. We’ll look at the new ruling and provide an overview of just who can be held liable in this rapidly changing area of the law.
News Flash: U.S. Supreme Court Update: Microsoft Temps Can Collect Stock Options—Plus Other Late-Breaking Decisions
The U.S. Supreme Court left intact a landmark federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal ruling that has forced many employers to reassess how they deal with temporary workers. The federal court had ruled that Microsoft improperly treated as many as 10,000 temporary employees as independent contractors and illegally denied them the option of participating […]
News Flash: Bank Of America’s Adopt-An-ATM Program Stirs Up Controversy
Bank of America recently announced that it had implemented a new Adopt-An-ATM program. Employees who volunteer for the program are asked to clean their adopted machines, remove trash and trim surrounding shrubs—all on their own time without pay. California Labor Commissioner Marcy Saunders responded to the bank’s announcement by demanding that the program be abolished […]
News Flash: Employer’s Denial Of COBRA Benefits Leaves Court With Bad Taste
A federal court in Delaware has ruled that Hanover Foodsviolated federal law by refusing to offer COBRA benefits to a worker who was fired for leaving onion powder out of a batch of ravioli. The company claimed that Heather Lloynd tried to sabotage the ravioli because she was assigned to work with an employee she […]
News Flash: Albertson’s To Pay Multimillion Dollar Settlement To Employees Who Weren’t Paid For “Off-The-Clock” Work
Albertson’s grocery chain recently settled eight class-action lawsuits filed by workers who allege the company didn’t pay them for work performed at the end of their shifts or on their days off. The employees claim they feared being fired if they reported the off-the-clock work. Albertson’s has denied wrongdoing, but agreed to take a $37 […]
Employee Lawsuits: Older “Unemployable” Worker Receives $603,000 For Future Lost Wages; Why You Need To Use More Caution When Older Workers Complain
As the baby boom generation enters its 40s and 50s, the number of workers protected under age discrimination laws continues to skyrocket. And while you’re probably aware of the most common legal issues involving older employees – such as discrimination and mandatory retirement – one recent ruling points out an unexpected and potentially expensive threat. […]
Managing Workers With Mental Disabilities: ADA May Protect Anxiety-Ridden Employees Who Can’t Interact With Others; Practical Approaches To Take
How do you deal with an employee who’s disruptive and can’t get along with co-workers? The obvious answer may be a warning or other discipline. But the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal says employees like these may have a mental disability protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and that instead of disciplining […]
Avoiding Retaliation Claims: Why Employee Who Couldn’t Prove Discrimination Still Won $500,000
Francis Iwekaogwu complained for years that he was being discriminated against because of his race, threatening on more than one occasion to file a formal charge against his employer. When he finally sued and went to trial, he didn¹t win any damages for race bias. But it turned out that the jury was much more […]
Sexual Harassment: New Legislation Exposes You To Liability For Low-Level Supervisors’ Misconduct
Under California law, you can be automatically liable for harassment committed by your managers and supervisors even if you had no notice of the problem and did nothing wrong. But just who qualifies as a supervisor has long been a troubling and important question because your chances of being held responsible increase as more employees […]