Archives

Fair Pay Act Revives Police Employee’s Discrimination Claims

by Teresa A. Cheek The Third Circuit Court of Appeals recently issued a decision applying the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act — the first bill signed into law by President Barack Obama in January 2009. HR Guide to Employment Law: A practical compliance reference manual covering 14 topics, including discrimination Facts Mary Lou Mikula was […]

NLRB May Make Significant Changes Even Without EFCA

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) celebrated the 75th anniversary of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which created the Board. Commenting on the stalled so-called Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), Chairman Wilma Liebman noted that congressional inaction on the EFCA may contribute to the “flip-flopping” with which the Board has been accused. She also […]

What Makes a Great Employee?

Frequently I’m asked, “What is the one thing that sets really great employees apart from the rest?” It’s an interesting question. I’m always surprised that people would assume that there might be a single common thread that ties all the best employees together. The questioners assume there is a single trait shared by the best […]

Lawyers See Easy Money in Wage-and-Hour Litigation

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady Wage-and-hour rules have been around for nearly three-quarters of a century—ever since FDR’s New Deal— so it’s hard to picture them triggering the next wave of employment litigation, but California attorney Marc Jacuzzi thinks otherwise. Litigation Tsunami? “Plaintiffs’ lawyers are leaving the ugly world of discrimination and going […]

‘Knowing and Voluntary’—Tricky Requirements

A waiver in a severance agreement is only valid when an employee “knowingly and voluntarily” consents to the waiver, say attorneys Lloyd Aubry and Armilla Staley-Ngomo. Reaching that standard can be challenging. The rules for waivers under the Age Discrimination and Employment Act (ADEA) are defined by the Older Workers Benefits Protection Act (OWBPA). Rules […]

House Passes COBRA Subsidy Extension and Expansion

Update Dec. 21, 2009: President signs bill including COBRA subsidy extension By John Hickman and Ashley Gillihan The House voted 395-34 today to pass the COBRA subsidy extension and expansion as part of the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 3326 — Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010. The text can be found as Section […]

HRHero Compensation Survey 2010 Results

HRHero’s Compensation 2010 survey results shows that wage and benefit issues continue to be a pressing problem for many companies and new issues are arising as employers try to deal with doing business in a vastly changed economy from two years ago. Here are some of the results 35% of survey respondents say their organization […]

Workers over 40? Caution’s the Watchword for RIFs

“Companies have to be especially cautious when conducting workforce reductions involving employees older than 40,” says attorney Lloyd Aubry. Waivers can help, but they bring their own legal challenges. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has recently issued a Technical Assistance Document covering waivers, say Aubry and Armilla Staley-Ngomo, both with the San Francisco office […]