Archives

EEOC Weighs in on Reasonable Accommodations for Disabled Lawyers

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued a new fact sheet addressing reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for attorneys with disabilities. The new publication is available on the agency’s website. According to the EEOC, one goal of the fact sheet is to dispel the myth that disabled lawyers who […]

Health & Safety: New First-Aid Guide Available from OSHA

Federal OSHA has published a new guide to help employers develop and implement an effective first-aid program. The “Best Practices Guide: Fundamentals of a Workplace First-Aid Program” lists the primary components of a workplace first-aid program at the workplace, including: identifying and assessing workplace risks, designing a program specific to the worksite and complying with […]

Discrimination: Big Settlement Reached in Workplace Bullying Case

Last year, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers California, ruled that when women bear the brunt of a supervisor’s bullying behavior—including screaming at employees—it can amount to illegal sex discrimination, even if the misconduct isn’t of a sexual nature. The case involved three women, Carol Christopher, Carmela Chamara, and Julie Bhend, who claimed […]

In executive compensation, one size doesn’t fit all

A solid executive compensation program both recruits great new leaders and keeps your present team intact, but be sure it matches your organization’s profile and stage of development. If, as is often said, the speed of the team is the speed of the leader, good executives can supercharge your company’s performance. But if your executive […]

How to improve your reference checking

Reference checking an applicant’s past can make today’s hiring decision easier … but only if you do it right! It’s been said that “the answers to all questions of the present reside in the past.” While not true for everything, there’s a lot of validity in this statement when hiring new employees. It’s likely your […]

Pending Legislation: Bill Would Impose Big Penalties for Misclassifying Employees as Independent Contractors

A bill pending in the state legislature would crack down on employers that intentionally misclassify employees as independent contractors in order to avoid unemployment insurance responsibilities. The measure, A.B. 2186, authorizes the Employment Development Department to assess a penalty of $25,000 against any employer who willfully, purposefully, or intentionally misclassifies an employee as an independent […]

Retirement Benefits: Auto 401(k) Enrollment Good for Employees, New Survey Shows

Employers that offer automatic enrollment for their 401(k) plans significantly increase employee participation, according to an annual study conducted by Hewitt Associates. The study, which examined the savings and investing habits of over 2.6 million employees, found that the overall participation rate of employees in companies offering automatic enrollment was 14 percent higher than the […]

No Requirement to Hold Position Open Indefinitely for Disabled Worker

According to a new California appeals court decision, holding a job open for a disabled employee who needs time to recuperate is a form of reasonable accommodation—where it appears likely the employee will be able to return to work at some time in the foreseeable future. But reasonable accommodation doesn’t require an employer to wait […]

More Employees Declining Health Benefits

A new study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reveals that the percentage of workers who accepted their employer’s offer of healthcare insurance dropped from 85.3 percent in 1998 to 80.3 percent in 2003. The drop means that 3 million fewer workers who are eligible for employer-sponsored health coverage elected to enroll in it over […]