Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The U.S. Department of Labor has announced two sizable overtime settlements with Southern California employers. VCI Telecom Inc., an Upland telecommunications company, has agreed to pay $1,074,375 to settle charges levied by the DOL for not paying overtime to 227 employees. And flooring and tile company Lambard Inc., based in Ontario, will fork over $228,156 […]
The United States Supreme Court recently held that when an employee brings a claim of discrimination, the employee may rely on circumstantial evidence to prove that the employer was motivated in part by illegal factors (such as the worker’s age, sex, religion, etc.). In a future article we will outline what this means for employers […]
To reflect changes adopted as part of the tax act passed earlier this year, the Internal Revenue Service revised the tax withholding table for employers, as well as other rate schedules. The new withholding table became effective July 1.
The California Department of Veterans’ Affairs escaped liability for harassment one of its registered nurses endured from a resident of the veterans’ home where she worked. Although this is a victory for employers, the state Assembly is considering legislation that would hold employers liable when clients or customers harass employees. We’ll keep you posted as […]
The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended that legislation be adopted to prohibit the use of cellular phones while driving, especially for inexperienced drivers. For guidance in adopting mobile phone use policies for your organization, see CEA September 2001.
Chico’s FAS is defending itself against a lawsuit brought by a former employee who claims she was required to purchase Chico clothing while working for the retailer. Chico’s says it merely encourages employees to wear its clothing, providing them with discounts on their purchases. This is just the latest in a string of similar lawsuits […]
The question of whether a male executive’s standard of attractiveness, which led to the firing of a female employee, violated the California Fair Employment and Housing Act will be answered by the state’s high court. The California Supreme Court has agreed to review Yanowitz v. L’Oreal USA Inc., which we covered in the May 2003 […]
In addition to a 7.2 percent increase to premiums approved by Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi, it appears the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Board will seek a 22.5 percent increase to rates. Watch future issues of CEA for additional workers’ compensation information.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is seeking comments on its recently released regulations for poultry processing facilities. The regulations include an overview of injuries common to this industry, ways to develop and implement safety strategies, and examples and tools available to improve ergonomic practices. Comments are due by Aug. 4, 2003.
Concern over Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome has spread around the world, and many employers are scrambling to take precautionary measures to keep SARS out of the workplace. But it’s crucial as you do so to be aware of state and federal antibias, wage-and-hour, medical privacy, and workers’ compensation rules that may come into play. We’ve […]