Author: Guest Columnist

An Arbitration Agreement Win for California Employers

By Emily Mertes, Sedgwick LLP In a recent California Appellate Court decision, what began as an otherwise uncomplicated employment case resulted in an arbitration agreement win for employers. Read on to see how the court determined that employee acknowledgment was sufficient to enforce an arbitration agreement.

Regulations Aimed at Improving Oil Refinery Safety in California

In July, the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR), the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), and the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) announced a landmark set of regulations to strengthen workplace and environmental safety at oil refineries across the state.

FMLA Request Spills into Litigation for Mississippi Employer

By Jerrald L. Shivers, The Kullman Firm When an employer learns that an employee’s absence might qualify for Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave, it is required to give him certain notifications. If the employee denies receiving the notifications, the employer must have a way of proving they were given to him.

Ask the Expert: FMLA’s Successor Employer Rules

I have a question regarding FMLA’s successor employer rules. If we are a successor employer under FMLA and need to provide the same benefits that the employee had with the previous employer, how do we handle the waiting period for benefits under our plan? Can we have a 30-60 period with no benefits if the […]

How to Handle Pushback against Gender Transition?

Yesterday we looked at how employers can get ahead of the game when it comes to creating a system for fairly handling employees who are going through gender transition. Today we’ll look at how to handle the pushback and the importance of keeping in touch with employees that are transitioning.

Prepare for HIPAA Privacy/Security Audits This Summer, Experts Advise

By Gwen Cofield Now that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has begun prescreening questionnaires for Phase 2 privacy and security audits, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-covered entities should make sure they’re prepared on the compliance areas HHS’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has indicated it plans to emphasize.