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Special from BLR’s National Employment Law Update: The Surprising Security Risk Posed by Your Photocopier

Your photocopier may be keeping copies of your records that have been scanned into the copier’s hard drive. You can access those records easily—and so can anyone else who knows how to work the copier’s hard drive. “That’s something everyone should be aware of,” said attorney Catherine Moreton Gray, speaking at BLR’s National Employment Law […]

Small Business Worried about Retirement Readiness, Not Big on Plans

Most U.S. small business owners think the country’s lack of retirement readiness threatens business and the economy, yet that concern doesn’t necessarily translate to concrete action to address it, a new survey has found. Only about one-third of small-business owners offer a retirement plan for their employees, according to “Poll Report: Small Business Owners’ Views on […]

Cal-OSHA Tackles Heat-Related Illness

The California Occupational Safety and Health Administration has published tips for workers and employers to keep in mind during heat waves. The new materials include an advisory for employers that explains the duty to take steps necessary to prevent heat-related illness, plus fact sheets for workers to help them recognize and respond to symptoms of […]

Are Your Employees Helping Cut Costs?

Every business has to watch expenses carefully. A successful business needs employees who do their best to cut costs, avoid waste, and make do when they can’t afford better Many workers may think there’s not much they can do about costs—that these decisions are made in the accounting office. But that isn’t true. The company’s […]

News Notes: OSHA 200 Log Reminder

For the entire month of February each year, most public and private employers are required to post an OSHA 200 Log in a conspicuous place. This “Log and Summary of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses” calls for details about on-the-job injuries and illnesses that occurred between January 1 and December 31 of the preceding year. Unless […]

U.S. Supreme Court Issues Important Retaliation Ruling

The U.S. Supreme Court has just released a ruling in the case of Crawford v. Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, concluding that Title VII’s anti-retaliation provision extends to an employee who speaks out about discrimination while answering questions during an employer’s internal investigation.

Federal Minimum Wage Increases on July 24

On July 24, 2009, the federal minimum wage will increase to $7.25 per hour. The increase is the result of a May 2007 amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which boosted the minimum wage in three steps. The first two steps — to $5.85 and then a year later to $6.55 — were […]

Working Through Religious Beliefs in the Workplace

By Sharolyn Whiting-Ralston In today’s world, employers face cultural and faith issues in the workplace. To further complicate matters, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has begun paying more attention to those issues. A recent case out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, serves as a reminder about your obligations when taking into account cultural or religious differences […]

More low-wage worker strikes are set for August 29

Fast-food and other low-wage workers who have staged strikes in a handful of cities around the country in recent months are planning to take their efforts nationwide on August 29. Strikers and their supporters are calling for $15 an hour as well as more protections for workers interested in unionizing. The latest wave of strikes […]