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In a victory for ergonomics advocates, Digital Equipment Corporation was recently ordered to pay almost $6 million to three computer users who claimed that Digital’s keyboards caused arm, wrist and hand injuries. Other keyboard makers, including IBM and Compaq, have successfully defended themselves against similar claims-though they now issue warnings to their employees and users. […]
Several recent cases have held that individual supervisors can be personally forced to pay damages for violating California’s tough sexual harassment laws. But what if a supervisor simply fails to take action to prevent harassment or doesn’t report it to senior management? The California Court of Appeal recently ruled that supervisors aren’t personally liable unless […]
During the month of February each year, most public and private employers are required to post OSHA Form 200 in a conspicuous place. This ‘Log and Summary of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses’ calls for details about on-the-job injuries and illnesses that occurred between January 1 and December 31 of the preceding year. Unless you’re in […]
In the first California court decision addressing your obligation to accommodate alcoholic employees, a court has given employers more leeway to terminate workers who continue to drink after unsuccessful efforts at rehabilitation. Here’s what the new case means for your employment practices.
Drug Policy Should Require Workers to Inform You When They’re Impaired In light of California’s new law legalizing medical marijuana use discussed in the accompanying story, now is a good time to take a look at your current drug and alcohol policies to make sure they cover situations where your employees’ work could be affected […]
You notice a strange odor as you walk by an employee standing on the street in the smokers’ area outside the entrance to your building. Then you realize the person is smoking marijuana. You may think you have clear grounds for discipline, termination or even calling the police. But taking action against the worker could […]
You pick up the telephone and there’s someone on the other end asking about a former employee. It sounds like a human resource manager doing a standard reference check. But do you really know who’s calling?
As the Agency Rent-A-Car case shows, you can find yourself mired in an expensive lawsuit for misclassifying employees as exempt from overtime. Here are four common employer mistakes: Ignorance of the law is not an excuse. Employers run into trouble when they don’t know the rules on classifying employees. Private sector employers in California are […]
A national car rental firm has just agreed to a whopping $8 million settlement for failing to pay overtime to employees improperly classified as exempt from the overtime laws. The agreement was reached after Agency Rent-A-Car was sued by 395 of its California managers and assistant managers who claimed back overtime and steep penalties.
What You Can and Can’t Ask About Criminal Records As the accompanying story highlights, you could be hit with big damages for asking illegal questions about a person’s criminal record. To help you steer clear of trouble, the following language can easily be modified for use in your application forms or when interviewing prospective or […]