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Changes Coming Fast and Furious for Government Contractors

Guest Post by: Susan Schoenfeld Senior Legal Editor Business & Legal Resources, Inc. While recently adding new compliance requirement to BLR’s legal analyses for government contractors and affirmative action, I thought about just how many changes have been made to the rules governing affirmative action and requirements for federal government contractors. To name a few […]

News Notes: Employers Not Strictly Liable For Supervisor Sexual Harassment

When Leslie Kohler sued under California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act claiming that her supervisor at Inter-Tel Technologies sexually harassed her, Inter-Tel said it wasn’t liable because it had taken reasonable steps to prevent harassment and Kohler had unreasonably failed to take advantage of the employer’s corrective opportunities by failing to report the incidents. Kohler […]

Sports Agency and Former Employee Take (non) Competition into Courtroom

By Kyla Stott-Jess Hollywood’s portrayal of sports agencies presents a world that is dramatic and cut-throat, with ambitious sports agents competing for the chance to represent talented athletes. A recent court decision in Alberta brought this competitive business into the courtroom when a sports agency squared off against a former employee. It also provides several […]

Family Leave: We’re a Small Company—Are We Covered by FMLA?

We are a small California business with 14 employees. We are not supposed to be subject to FMLA, but our lawyer says we are. This is because we have FMLA eligibility information included in our handbook. But the eligibility clause clearly states that “employees who work at a location where the Company employs fewer than […]

The Courtroom Shouldn’t Be Recordkeeping’s First Test

Litigation is the ultimate test of the adequacy of an employer’s recordkeeping practices, says attorney Allen Kato of the San Francisco office of Fenwick and West LLP. Of course, the courtroom isn’t the best place to find out that records are inadequate, incomplete, or nonexistent. Record retention is a daunting task for employers because there […]

Highest minimum wage in nation likely for Washington, D.C.

The final vote hasn’t come yet, but on December 3, the D.C. Council unanimously voted to raise the minimum wage in Washington, D.C., to $11.50 per hour by 2016, well above the $7.25 federal minimum wage. Before the measure is finalized, the council must hold a final vote and send it to Mayor Vincent C. […]

News Notes: Free OSHA Compliance Advice Available Online

Federal OSHA has released free software on its web site – www.osha.gov – that can save you time and frustration in figuring out whether you comply with certain complex health and safety rules. Three interactive programs are available, including Asbestos Advisor, Cadmium Biological Advisor, and Confined Spaces Advisor, and more are in the works.

News Notes: Workplace Fatalities Decline In California

New California Division of Labor Statistics figures show that workplace fatalities declined last year even as employment numbers rose. In 2003, 456 of the state’s 16,283,000 workers were fatally injured on the job, down from 478 out of 16,215,000 in 2002. The causes of fatalities in 2003 were transportation incidents, accounting for 38 percent of […]

Pay less for FLSA liability coverage by updating policies and monitoring workers

A relatively new form of insurance, employment practices liability insurance (EPLI) became popular in the 1990s after the 1991 Civil Rights Act amendments increased the frequency of discrimination claims in the workplace. EPLI typically covers defense costs, judgments and settlements of employment issues ranging from sexual harassment to wrongful termination. While many employers do not […]