Archives

Gay Witch Hunt

LITIGATION VALUE: $0.00 to $450,000+ (depending on which state you are in) Overall, I’d say that Oscar has a good (read “expensive”) claim for sexual orientation discrimination and retaliation. Not only does Michael admittedly refer to employees as “faggy” when he means “lame,” but he specifically refers to Oscar, a gay employee, as “faggy.” Then, […]

Want to Avoid Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Problems? Do a Self-Audit

If the government is willing to go after the world’s largest store on FLSA, they’ll go after anyone. Here’s how to keep the Washington wolves from your door. Wal-Mart has been in the news lately, and not just for having “always the low price.” According to government allegations, Wal-Mart has also had “sometimes the low […]

Employment Law Tip: Maintaining an At-Will Relationship

If you’re like many California employers, your employee handbook contains a statement that employment is at-will, meaning that employees can be fired for any reason or no reason at all, providing the termination does not violate state or federal law. But have you checked your handbook to be sure it doesn’t contain provisions that undermine […]

Federal Contractors: Government Drops EO Survey

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has finalized a rule eliminating the requirement that non-construction federal contractors periodically file an equal employment survey known as the “EO Survey.” The Clinton administration introduced the survey in 2000, but it was widely criticized for being burdensome to contractors and not providing the OFCCP with the […]

Wage and Hour: Governor Signs Minimum Wage Bill

Governor Schwarzenegger has signed into law A.B. 1835, which will boost California’s minimum wage to $8.00 over two years. The first increase, to $7.50, will take effect on Jan. 1, 2007, followed by the final increase to $8.00 on Jan. 1, 2008.

FLSA Rewinds the Time Clock

FLSA pressures are bringing back the time clock, and some workers are more than a little ticked off. It’s baaaack! No, not some undead spirit from a horror movie, but something just as upsetting to some workers … the old-fashioned, punch-in and punch-out time clock. Time clocks never really left industrial workplaces, but that’s not […]

Innovative Ideas in Recruitment and Retention? Here’s Where to Find Them

Innovative solutions to recruitment and retention do exist, reports BLR’s Best Practices in HR newsletter, which specializes in finding them. Here are several: In today’s “talent wars,” recruitment and retention are the biggest battlegrounds. With thousands of trained baby boomers primed to grab their 401(k)s and go, companies are fighting to replace them … or […]