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A new measure signed by Governor Davis expands existing law that permits employees to take unpaid time off from work to serve on a jury or act as a witness. The new law specifies that an employee who is a victim of domestic violence or other crimes may also take time off to attend court […]
Your voluntary separation incentive plan may involve even more paperwork and expenses than you think. According to a new federal government opinion, severance programs that aren’t directly linked to retirement can still be considered pension plans covered by detailed ERISA compliance requirements. 400+ pages of state-specific, easy-read reference materials at your fingertips—fully updated! Check out […]
Lucky Stores faced a typical problem. An employee who was injured on the job wanted to return to work even though his doctors had imposed restrictions on his duties. The supermarket carefully considered the employee’s work limitations, extended his disability leave more than once and eventually offered him a part-time job he was qualified to […]
Health care premiums are predicted to rise as much as 12% in the coming 12 months, according to a new survey by the human resource consulting firm Buck Consultants. Although managed care has come under attack recently for failing to live up to its promise of keeping health care costs in check, health maintenance organizations […]
As we reported last month, major changes in overtime and other wage and hour rules will take effect on January 1, 2000. Because you’ll likely need to revise your policies and procedures to be sure you’re in compliance, we’ve prepared a 10-point checklist you can use to get a head start. The HR Management & Compliance […]
If you require a disabled employee to be completely recovered before returning to work, it’s important to reconsider that policy in light of the Ninth Circuit’s recent ruling involving Amtrak (see above). In the case, a disabled ticket agent who could no longer perform her job claimed that her supervisor wouldn’t allow her to bid […]
What if an employee becomes disabled and there’s no reasonable accommodation that would enable the person to keep working in their existing position? In this relatively common situation, according to two recent Americans with Disabilities Act cases, you may have to find the worker a new job. We’ll look at these decisions and give you […]
Can workers who swear to be totally disabled on an application for Social Security benefits turn around and sue you under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), contending they’re qualified to work despite their disability claim? Two recent court decisions – one from the United States Supreme Court and the other involving a Northern California […]
If equal pay issues aren’t visible on your radar screen, they should be. That’s because both the government and disgruntled employees continue to target employers who violate equal pay laws. Congress is actively debating a bill that would strengthen federal equal pay rules (see the Special Supplement on pending legislation in this month’s Bulletin). And […]
A number of cases in recent years have raised the thorny issue of whether the Americans With Disabilities Act protects workers whose disabilities don’t necessarily affect them at work because they take medication or use corrective devices. Now, in a trio of important new decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned the Equal Employment Opportunity […]