Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The U.S. Department of Labor has revised the poster that employers are required to post in the workplace to inform employees of their rights under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). USERRA sets out employment reinstatement and benefits rights for service members, and it applies to all employers regardless of size, including […]
A jury in Alameda County has slapped Wal-Mart with a $172 million verdict for denying employees legally required lunch breaks. The verdict came in after just three days of juror deliberation, following a four-month trial in the class-action lawsuit, which filed back in 2002 against the retail giant. Wal-Mart has said it plans to appeal.
Age bias lawsuits are frequently hitting the headlines these days, oftentimes with big numbers attached. For example, Austrian Airlines has just agreed to pay $500,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) accusing the airline of age discrimination against former sales director William Thoman, age 51. The agency charged […]
In the November 2005 issue of the California Employer Advisor, we reported on a case that highlighted the tension between the requirements of California disability bias law, the state Compassionate Use Law, and the federal Controlled Substance Act, which criminalizes drug use and possession. The case involved an employee who was refused employment after he tested positive […]
Within days, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing is expected to release draft regulations concerning A.B. 1825, the law requiring employers with 50 or more employees to provide supervisors with two hours of harassment training every two years. The draft regulations, prepared by a Blue Ribbon Advisory Committee appointed by the Fair Employment […]
Computech, Inc., a Michigan-based firm that places computer professionals at workplaces throughout the U.S., has agreed to pay $2,250,000 in back wages and a $400,000 fine to settle charges levied by the Department of Labor that the company violated immigration law. The settlement proceeds will be shared by 232 computer professionals.
The State Compensation Insurance Fund (known as State Fund), California’s largest workers’ comp insurer, has announced an average 16 percent rate cut for policies effective on or after Jan. 1, 2006. This is the fifth consecutive decrease since 2004, marking an average cumulative drop of 38 percent for State Fund policyholders. This latest State Fund […]
It’s been almost a year since the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) proposed a new rule to add flexibility for employers and employees to California’s meal period requirements. The rule, which has gone through several versions, still isn’t final.
The Department of Homeland Security, in partnership with the Advertising Council, has launched a campaign to educate small and mid-sized employers about engaging in emergency preparedness efforts to protect their employees, business operations, and assets. The program includes a website, http://www.ready.gov, with extensive information on emergency planning, including a sample emergency plan, emergency supplies checklist, […]
The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday ruled unanimously that the Fair Labor Standards Act requires employers to pay workers who are required to don protective gear on the employer’s premises for the time it takes the employees to walk between the changing and production areas. The court also decided, however, that employers need not compensate employees for […]