Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
At first glance, this case might seem hard to believe. An employer is ordered to pay big damages to a worker who was fired for testing positive for drug use following a workplace accident. Why? Because of poor documentation and alleged race discrimination, both of which could have been avoided. With this case and the […]
When you hear about workers’ compensation fraud, it’s usually by employees. But there are cases where employers are charged with cheating the workers’ comp system. In one of the biggest verdicts of this kind, State Compen- sation Insurance Fund-the state’s largest workers’ compensation insurer-recently won a $3.2 million judgment against a network of Southern California […]
It’s a familiar scenario: The new employee you hired just isn’t working out. Her performance is poor, and she repeatedly falls short on assignments. You’ve warned her that she isn’t meeting your company’s standards, yet she still fails to improve. You decide to fire her. Before you act, you should know about a recent court […]
In a blow to employers, the California Supreme Court has ruled that three school districts can be sued for giving enthusiastic job references that left out a vice-principal’s history of alleged sexual misconduct with students. This decision highlights the risks of giving reference letters, even when everything you say is positive.
If United wants to fly to San Francisco, it may have to comply with the City’s controversial new domestic partners ordinance, warned a Board of Supervisors committee. In December, the Board voted to do business only with contractors who provide their employees with domestic partner benefits. (See CEA December 1996.) United does not currently do […]
Finding the right language to ensure that arbitration agreements will stand up to legal scrutiny can be tricky. And a new decision by the California Court of Appeal adds to the confusion. When executive William Stirlen sued Northern California-based Supercuts for wrongful discharge, Supercuts tried to enforce an arbitration clause in Stirlen’s employment agreement. But […]
After declaring a state of emergency in 44 counties because of this winter’s storms, Governor Wilson signed an executive order suspending daily overtime requirements for private, non-union employers in the counties affected. The goal is to help businesses recover from the disaster by allowing the use of flexible work schedules. Employees can work more than […]
California’s new workplace ergonomics rules won’t take effect until they are rewritten to make them easier to understand. The California Office of Administrative Law, which must approve all new state regulations, has just rejected the rules and asked for clarification of several different sections. The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board expects to have […]
Domestic violence is not just a private family problem. It can impact the workplace, sometimes with devastating results. To help deal with the problem, the U.S. Department of Labor recently released a new report outlining how you can protect yourself and your employees in these situations.
Employers are generally held legally accountable for their employees’ conduct. But one employer recently persuaded the California Supreme Court to limit this rule. The case involved the question of whether an employee of a fast-food restaurant acted properly during an armed robbery. Although the Supreme Court let the employer off the hook, the case points […]