Tag: San Francisco

Health Benefits: New Strict Time Limits For Claims And Appeals

New Department of Labor regulations on health benefit claims and appeals procedures reduce the time allowed for processing claims and reviewing claim denials. The rules apply to claims filed on or after Jan. 1, 2002, under all ERISA-governed health plans including employer-provided health programs such as dental and vision coverage, disability plans and HMOs.

Race Harassment: EEOC Charges Harassment At Group Home

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has stepped in to file a lawsuit accusing Catholic Charities of firing an African-American case manager after he complained about racially offensive treatment. Keith Bogard claimed that because of his race he was given undesirable assignments at a Catholic Charities group home in San Francisco. He also charged that staff […]

Age Bias Claims: EEOC Clarifies Rules For Challenging ADEA Waivers

It’s not uncommon for employers to offer older workers early retirement or severance benefits in exchange for having them waive potential age-bias claims they might have under the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). But employees sometimes have second thoughts—after they have accepted the benefits. Now the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has issued new […]

Employee Handbooks And Policies: Employee Consent Not Required To Change Policies; Helpful Guidelines

Many employers make it a practice to periodically update their employee manuals and policies. But where do you stand if an employee objects to a new policy? In a recent case, a California Court of Appeal rejected a worker’s attempt to challenge a provision that was added to an employee handbook. More importantly, the court […]

Drug Tests: New Restrictions On Random Testing

A recent California Court of Appeal ruling involving an employee who agreed to undergo random drug testing places new restrictions on when you can administer drug tests. Random Drug Test Conducted On Employee’s Day Off Perrin Edgerton, a Caltrans equipment operator in the Redding area, failed a random drug test that came up positive for […]

News Flash: Federal Court Takes Up San Francisco Domestic Partner Ordinance

A federal appeals court is currently considering challenges to San Francisco’s cutting-edge domestic partner ordinance. The law requires that companies who dobusiness with the city provide unmarried employees who have domestic partners the same benefits as married workers. An airline trade association succeeded in invalidating the provisions of the law covering health and welfare benefits. […]

At-Will Employment: Supreme Court Clarifies Termination Rights, But Personnel Policies Can Limit Your Options; 3 Ways To Protect Yourself

Some employees have tried to get around their at-will status by claiming long service and repeated promotions created an implied agreement that they would only be terminated for good cause. Now the California Supreme Court has made clear that this argument won’t fly. However, the court left the door open for a person’s at-will employment […]

Sexual Harassment: Teenager To Get $750,000 For Roughhousing By Supervisor

A recent case illustrates that sexual harassment claims can encompass actions other than traditional sexually oriented conduct. A 15-year-old student who was hired to answer the telephone at a nonprofit agency in the San Francisco area will receive $750,000 in a confidential settlement of his claim that a supervisor harassed him through aggressive “roughhousing” and […]

Whistleblowing: Alaska Airlines Sued By Worker Who Reported Maintenance Problems

John Liotine, the mechanic who first alerted authorities to potential problems at Alaska Airlines’ Oakland maintenance facility, has now filed a $20 million defamation lawsuit against the company. Liotine charged that information on the airline’s Web site suggested he was incompetent and he had accused his supervisors of misconduct because they passed him over for […]