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In the July issue of California Employer Advisor, we reported on a recent proposal by the Labor Department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to revamp affirmative action guidelines for federal contractors. Several employer groups asked for an extension of the 60-day comment period on the proposed regulations, but the OFCCP flatly rejected their request. The […]
Our cover stories for the July 2000 issue of California Employer Advisor deal with two important cases that may have a significant impact on employers. In one, the California Supreme Court ruled that you have the right to rescind or change personnel policies covering terms of employment. But the court set out several steps you […]
The state legislature continues to consider a bill that wouldexempt professionals in the computer industry from overtime. As we went to press, theAssembly’s Appropriations Committee has a hearing set for June 28 on S.B. 88, whichalready passed the state Senate. The proposal would relieve computer-industry employersfrom having to pay overtime to hourly workers who earn […]
We’re proud to report that California Employer Advisor recently received its second award for excellence in Instructional Reporting from the international Newsletter Publishers Foundation. The award was presented last month in Washington, D.C. We won our first award in the same category in 1996. However, we give the real credit to our subscribers, for the invaluable comments […]
A lawyer fired from a government job soon after moving from Orange County to Santa Clara County was barred from suing his new employer for inducing him to relocate under false pretenses. Ordinarily, it’s illegal in California to misrepresent employment terms to persuade someone to move to take a job in a different locality. In […]
In a decision that could test the limits of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a federal court in Utah has ruled a worker’s sensitivity to strong fragrances may qualify as a disability. Glenda Davis had worked for a state tax agency for four years when she developed a sensitivity to fragrances that resulted in headaches, […]
The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have blocked funding for new national ergonomics rules intended to reduce repetitive motion injuries in the workplace. The rules, which would affect an estimated 27 million employees whose jobs involve repetitive tasks or manual labor, would impose heavier burdens on employers than existing California standards. The vote prevents […]
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.