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New FMLA: Tricky Questions Answered

Surveys consistently show that managing Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) issues is one of the most time-consuming—and annoying—areas HR professionals tackle. BLR’s experts at Compensation.BLR.comshare answers to some of the trickier questions they get. Q. The law defines a health condition as serious if the employee is treated by a healthcare provider for more […]

News Notes: Study Reveals Why Many Small Employers Don’t Offer Health Insurance

Some common misconceptions keep small employers from offering health benefits to their employees, according to a recent study by the UCLA/UC Berkeley Health Insurance Policy Program. The study revealed that 38 percent of California employers with 10 to 50 employees don’t offer coverage. The reasons why include these erroneous perceptions: it’s too expensive; it doesn’t […]

News Notes: Court Says Employer Can’t Charge Independent Contractors For Workers’ Comp Coverag

  Although the workers’ compensation system is designed to provide protection for injured employees, employers can obtain workers’ comp coverage for independent contractors under certain circumstances. Now a California appeal court has ruled that providing them with coverage will subject both the employer and the contractor to other workers’ comp law provisions—including the prohibition on […]

Survey Says: Break Claims Down, Misclassifications and Overtime Up

Meal/rest break claims are down significantly, while misclassifications and overtime cases remain strong, says the 7th Annual Litigation Trends Report from international law firm Fulbright & Jaworski LLP. Fulbright surveyed senior corporate counsel on their experiences and opinions regarding litigation. The survey had 403 participants, 275 whom were from the U.S. Of the U.S. companies […]

Arbitration Agreements: Ninth Circuit Says Compulsory Arbitration of Bias Disputes Is OK; Caution Still Required

Last year, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers California, decided that federal antibias laws don’t prohibit employers from requiring job applicants and employees to sign mandatory arbitration agreements as a condition of employment. The case then went before a full panel of the Ninth Circuit for review—which has now handed down another strong […]

News Notes: Labor Department Reminds Employers That Service Time Counts Toward FMLA Eligibility

The federal Labor Department has issued a memorandum clarifying its position on the rights of returning uniformed service members to take family and medical leave. The department says that active duty time must be counted toward these workers’ eligibility to take time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act. In particular, employees generally become […]

Internet Policy: April 2002

  Sample Internet Policy Here’s a sample Internet policy you can modify and/or expand to meet your organization’s specific needs. Have your employees sign the policy, acknowledging they understand it and agree to be bound by its terms. [Company] Internet Policy Business use only. [Company] provides Internet access (including e-mail) to its employees to assist and […]

Rules Could Require Fed Contractors to Hire a Certain Percentage of Disabled

Federal employers and contractors may soon have new disability regulations to follow, two federal agencies have announced. Both the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have said they will issue new regulations for the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination in hiring and employment practices by the federal government […]