Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) have introduced the Healthy Families Act, legislation that, if passed, would guarantee seven paid sick days per year to employees working at least 30 hours a week at companies with 15 or more workers. The sick days could be used for the employee’s own medical […]
Aug. 31 was the last day for Sacramento lawmakers to act on pending bills, and Gov. Davis now has until Sept. 20 to sign measures that made it to his desk.
The controversy over the use of mandatory arbitration for employment disputes continues as federal and state courts send contradictory signals to employers. While the California Supreme Court recently OK’d the use of mandatory arbitration, the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has said that for some types of claims, such as age or race bias, […]
The U.S. Department of Justice and Time Warner Inc. have reached a $5.5 million settlement to resolve a lawsuit charging that since 1990 the publishing giant has misclassified employees as independent contractors or temporary workers, causing them to be denied benefits including health insurance, pensions and employee stock ownership. The company did not admit liability, […]
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released two new useful publications to address workplace health and safety risks. First, OSHA has a new guide to help international business travelers avoid health risks. You can download the guide on the OSHA website. Second, OSHA has prepared a Heat Stress Card, which contains valuable information for […]
Several large employers have recently run into expensive problems over the practice of handing out assistant manager titles, allegedly to avoid paying overtime to employees who perform largely the same work as nonexempt personnel. Workers are calling such tactics unfair labor practices and are suing for back overtime pay and damages. Two such cases are […]
Three unskilled laborers who were hired to clean a film lab at Metrocolor Laboratories in Los Angeles sued, claiming Metrocolor told them to use a particular cleaning substance without revealing that it contained hazardous chemicals that can cause brain and nervous system damage. The workers’ skin became soaked with the liquid as it rained down […]
Hiring temporary employees is a growing trend and not just around the holiday season. In 2018, 51% of employers surveyed by CareerBuilder were planning to hire temporary employees, compared to 44% that were seeking full-time talent.
We reported on the new Cal-OSHA initiative to educate employers and employees on how to prevent heat-related illness. Employers and employees should also take the time to understand how to prevent another sun hazard that’s a problem year-round: too much exposure to harmful ultraviolet rays.