Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
In a blow to employers, the California Supreme Court has ruled that three school districts can be sued for giving enthusiastic job references that left out a vice-principal’s history of alleged sexual misconduct with students. This decision highlights the risks of giving reference letters, even when everything you say is positive.
If United wants to fly to San Francisco, it may have to comply with the City’s controversial new domestic partners ordinance, warned a Board of Supervisors committee. In December, the Board voted to do business only with contractors who provide their employees with domestic partner benefits. (See CEA December 1996.) United does not currently do […]
Finding the right language to ensure that arbitration agreements will stand up to legal scrutiny can be tricky. And a new decision by the California Court of Appeal adds to the confusion. When executive William Stirlen sued Northern California-based Supercuts for wrongful discharge, Supercuts tried to enforce an arbitration clause in Stirlen’s employment agreement. But […]
After declaring a state of emergency in 44 counties because of this winter’s storms, Governor Wilson signed an executive order suspending daily overtime requirements for private, non-union employers in the counties affected. The goal is to help businesses recover from the disaster by allowing the use of flexible work schedules. Employees can work more than […]
California’s new workplace ergonomics rules won’t take effect until they are rewritten to make them easier to understand. The California Office of Administrative Law, which must approve all new state regulations, has just rejected the rules and asked for clarification of several different sections. The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board expects to have […]
Domestic violence is not just a private family problem. It can impact the workplace, sometimes with devastating results. To help deal with the problem, the U.S. Department of Labor recently released a new report outlining how you can protect yourself and your employees in these situations.
Employers are generally held legally accountable for their employees’ conduct. But one employer recently persuaded the California Supreme Court to limit this rule. The case involved the question of whether an employee of a fast-food restaurant acted properly during an armed robbery. Although the Supreme Court let the employer off the hook, the case points […]
One of your employees rushes to the airport after your industry’s most important trade show. Halfway there, the worker realizes a company laptop computer was left behind in the hotel lobby, which is swarming with competitors. And that little machine is crammed with sensitive data: new product secrets, pricing information, strategic plans. Or, in a […]
The federal appeals court that covers California recently ruled that a public employer violated employees’ free speech rights when it banned religious discussion and materials in the workplace. The decision highlights the need for public and private employers alike to exercise care in adopting policies that restrict employees’ religious activities at work. Join us this […]
Prevailing wage laws are designed to protect local workers from seeing their pay decline due to government contracts going to the lowest bidders. They require contractors on public works projects to pay employees the region’s prevailing wage. Until now, the formula used to determine the prevailing wage generally turned out to be union scale, often […]