Category: HR Management & Compliance

There are dozens of details to take care of in the day-to-day operation of your department and your company. We give you case studies, news updates, best practices and training tips that keep your organization fully in compliance with ever-changing employment law, and you fully aware of emerging HR trends.

Preventing Workplace Lawsuits: Johnson And Johnson To Pay Multimillion-Dollar Retaliation Verdict

Jennifer Passantino spent 18 years rising through the ranks at a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, eventually becoming one of its most successful female managers. But all that changed after she complained about sex discrimination. Suddenly she was excluded from important meetings, had her job responsibilities transferred to other employees and was repeatedly passed over for […]

Improving Employee Benefits: New IRS Guidelines May Increase Popularity Of Tax-Free Transportation Plans

If you’re looking for a free or low-cost way to boost your employee benefit package, a transportation spending account may be the way to go. These programs involve some administrative burdens, but they can result in income tax savings for employees and FICA tax savings for both you and your workers. Until now, many employers […]

Harassment Claims: Employers’ Failure To Take Action Results In Big Verdicts

When a male supervisor harasses a female employee, it’s obvious that you must take the matter seriously or face the likelihood of expensive damages if you’re sued. But many harassment claims don’t follow this typical pattern.In one recent lawsuit, an employee charged he was harassed because of his disability. And in another, a male worker […]

Accommodating Applicants: Wal-Mart Revamps Procedures After Hearing-Impaired Applicants Sue; How Far Do You Have To Go?

When Wal-Mart settled a disability discrimination lawsuit brought by two deaf job applicants, it didn’t just pay them lost wages and other damages. The retailer also promised to take specific steps to make it easier for hearing-impaired and other disabled workers to apply for and keep jobs. These measures provide a glimpse of what the […]

News Flash: Government Agrees To Landmark Half-Billion-Dollar Discrimination Settlement

In a record-setting settlement, the federal government has agreed to pay $508 million to more than 1,000 women who claimed the now defunct U.S.Information Agency denied them jobs based upon their sex. The women had applied forpositions as writers, editors, technicians and foreign-language broadcasters between 1974and 1984. The government was also ordered to pay the […]

News Flash: Employee Claims He Lost Promotion Due To HIV Status

Vincent Fusco, an American Airlines ticket agent from WalnutCreek, has filed a discrimination lawsuit against the airline for allegedly testing him for HIV in a roundabout way and then withdrawing a promotion offer for a flight attendant position after finding out about his HIV status. Following several prepromotion medical tests, the airline allegedly asked Fusco’s […]

News Flash: Whistleblower Collects Over $800,000 Of $8.9 Million Fraud Settlement

Cigna Corp. has agreed to shell out $8.9 million to settle a government fraud lawsuit triggered by an employee’s allegation of over-billing. The employee had disclosed that Connecticut General Life Insurance, a subsidiary of Cigna, was overcharging the Health Care Financing Administration for photocopy charges. The employee claimed that when the company made two-sided copies, […]

News Flash: Interim Wage Order Under Fire; More Changes May Be Coming

 The cover story in the March issue of California Employer Advisor highlights several important provisions of the new Interim Wage Order, which took effect March 1. Now the Industrial Welfare Commission has announced that it will hold a hearing to discuss proposed changes to the wage order. The hearing will take place in Sacramento on March 31. Some […]

News Flash: Join A Wage Board And Be Heard

 In other wage and hour news, the Industrial Welfare Commission has announced the creation of two new wage boards. The boards will be responsible for establishing wage orders for the on-site construction, mining, drilling and logging industry and for the computer industry. Nominations for the construction, mining, drilling and logging industry wage board must be […]