Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Mervyn’s California has agreed to shell out $7.3 million to resolve overtime claims brought by 1,600 store managers who charged they were improperly classified as exempt from overtime. The managers contend they spent most of their time stocking shelves and performing other nonmanagerial duties. Mervyn’s previously agreed to pay $4 million to settle similar lawsuits […]
Recently, Cal-OSHA submitted emergency regulations regarding workplace heat illness prevention. At an August 12 meeting of the Cal-OSHA Standards Board, the new rules won approval. The rules require the following:
A new study by Mellon Financial Corp. reveals that 81 percent of employers offer employee assistance programs, up from 70 percent in 1996, and 54 percent provide family sick days, up from 42 percent. Although only 6 percent of employers offered domestic partner benefits seven years ago, 35 percent of employers do now. The study […]
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has announced it is postponing the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) employee rights posting rule until the legal issues are resolved in court.
As we reported in an earlier article, the government recently released new privacy regulations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). As the April 14, 2003, compliance deadline approaches, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has issued guidance (available on our website), including frequently asked questions, explaining significant aspects of the […]
For the first time in over 25 years, the U.S. Department of Labor has issued proposed rules overhauling the system for determining which employees are exempt from overtime under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. The proposed rules change the types of job duties workers must perform to qualify for exemption from overtime as well […]
Under a new policy, the U.S. Department of Labor and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, which oversees government contractors, will no longer inspect I-9 forms when visiting a worksite to follow up on worker complaints about labor violations. The policy shift is an attempt to encourage undocumented employees to file such complaints without […]
Discrimination lawsuits doubled between 1992 and 1996, according to a new report from the U.S. Courts’ Administrative Office. And the problem is likely to get worse. In May, we reported that employers paid record amounts to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) over the last few years. Now top EEOC lawyers have promised to step […]