Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Rent-A-Center, a rent-to-own furniture chain, will pay $3 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging that assistant managers in California were improperly classified as exempt from overtime because they only occasionally performed managerial duties. And in a separate lawsuit, about 1,200 California applicants and employees will share in a $2.1 million settlement of claims […]
John Blackstock, an apprentice electrician with Rick’s Electric Inc., a San Diego electrical contractor, was seriously hurt when he received a 227-volt shock while working on electrical cables. Foreman Glen Woodmansee believed the cables weren’t energized, but didn’t check before assigning Blackstock to the project. Plus, Blackstock hadn’t been trained to work on live equipment. […]
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires you to try to reach an accommodation in cases involving mental or physical disabilities by engaging in an “interactive process” with an employee. But a recent case involving United Airlines highlights several missteps to avoid—and some specific measures to take—to satisfy the ADA.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal provided these examples of conduct that will—and won’t—support a retaliation claim:
It’s a fact of life that educating employees and supervisors about sexual harassment and having a strong policy are not always enough to prevent misconduct. But a rapid response can help keep a single incident from mushrooming into a successful harassment lawsuit, as one employer recently learned.
On June 30, in Sacramento, the Industrial Welfare Commission was scheduled to hold a hearing to review current overtime and other wage and hour rules and come up with new wage orders. The commission planned to discuss and take action on several issues including these key items:
The U.S. Supreme Court has handed down a unanimous ruling that permits employees to prove job bias by showing that the employer’s stated reason for termination or other adverse action was false. This is an important decision, although how it will impact California employers isn’t yet clear.
If a job applicant has a liver disorder that might be worsened by exposure to chemicals at work, or a back problem that would be aggravated by heavy lifting, you might wonder whether you can refuse to hire the person so you won’t be on the hook for future workers’ comp benefits. Now, in a […]
An important new California Supreme Court ruling has affirmed your right to modify or rescind your personnel policies, but it also creates new employee protections—and employer compliance obligations. We’ll examine this decision and look at what you have to do before you eliminate or change a policy.
Now that summer is here, students are looking for hands-on work experience and are often willing to work as a volunteer or intern for no pay. But many employers are not up to speed on the strict state and federal guidelines regarding who is legally considered an employee entitled to be paid at least minimum […]