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A California Court of Appeal has ruled that a mechanic whose face was disfigured in a workplace explosion can have cosmetic surgery covered by workers’ compensation. The mechanic suffered severe burns when a welding torch ignited a fireball inside the fiber glass tank he was dismantling. The state Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board had determined that […]
At a hearing in Washington, D.C., earlier this month, the Internal Revenue Service heard opposing arguments on permitting employers to provide tax-free public transit benefits through cash reimbursement rather than vouchers or passes. As we’ve reported, proposed IRS rules would make it easier for employers to set up transportation spending accounts, which let you pay […]
Fed/OSHA continues to move ahead with its controversial ergonomics proposal, despite pending legislation that would require more time for public comment before the rules are finalized. OSHA’s hearings on the proposal wrapped up May 12 after testimony from over 1,000 witnesses, and the agency expects to publish final regulations by year’s end. But the controversy […]
The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has unveiled a new initiative to boost enforcement of the wage bias laws. The agency will create a new task force to help EEOC investigators analyze equal pay issues when employees file charges. The government is also providing additional educational resources through a new equal pay page on its […]
Employees can now use the Internet to file health and safety complaints, thanks to a new Fed/OSHA Web site focusing on workers’ rights. The new electronic complaint filing system, which makes it easier for employees to air their grievances, could bring a flood of new workplace investigations since the agency says that it will forward […]
An Orange County jury has ordered Vons Cos. to pay $5.2million in punitive and compensatory damages to a female manager for sex discrimination. Lynne Rayburn, a 25-year employee, was demoted from her district manager position and replaced with a male worker. Vons asserted the demotion was due to poor performance. But Rayburn claims she was […]
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has voted unanimously to enact a new law banning discrimination in employment and housing on the basis of weight and height. Mayor Willie Brown is expected to sign the law, which will then take effect in 30 days. Under the new rules, businesses that contract with the city and […]
A new lawsuit highlights the dilemma for employers when domestic violence spills over into the workplace. Tammie Heleniak claims she was fired from her temporary administrative assistant position at Hewlett Packard in Roseville after informing her supervisors that her estranged husband had threatened her. And now she’s filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Hewlett Packard […]
In what could be the first case under California’s new law barring discipline for off-duty conduct, a former employee of the Los Angeles Police Relief Association says she was fired after disclosing her plans to marry a prison inmate. Cipriana Ortiz claims that when she informed the association that she was engaged to a prisoner, […]
Most employers are on the lookout for sexual harassment that occurs in the workplace. But it may come as a surprise that you can be sued for sexual misconduct that occurs on an incentive trip offered to top performers. In a recent case that highlights this problem, a Los Angeles employer has shelled out $130,000 […]