Author: Jennifer Carsen

News Bulletin: Workplace Posters Available Online

The California Department of Industrial Relations has made it easier for you to keep your required workplace postings up-to-date. Just go to CDIR website, where, with just a few clicks, you can place an order for up to five copies of any poster you need, and it’s all free.

Hiring Employees: EEOC Proposes Definition Of Who’s An Applicant For E-Cruiting Purposes, Part 1; What You Should Know

In response to the meteoric rise of Internet-related high-tech recruiting, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), working with several other federal agencies, has released long-awaited proposed guidelines defining who employers must count as an applicant to comply with federal recordkeeping and affirmative action rules. In this first installment of our two-part series on the […]

Disabled Workers: New Ruling Highlights Key Differences Between ADA And California Law

Although the disability provisions of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) were modeled after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the two laws have some key differences—and the California rules provide greater protection for disabled employees. We’ll tell you about a new ruling from a federal court in San Francisco that focuses on […]

Race Harassment: Workplace Permeated By Slurs And Graffiti, Employee Charges; Prevent Lawsuits With A Strong Antiharassment Program

A new Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal ruling highlights how critical it is for employers to take all necessary steps to prevent racial harassment in the workplace and to stop such misconduct when it occurs. We’ll recount what happened and suggest how you can set up an effective antiharassment program.

Benefits: U.S. Supreme Court Says Owners Possess Rights As Participants In ERISA Pension Plans

Many small-business owners both administer and participate in pension plans covered by the Employee Retirement and Income Security Act (ERISA). But the courts have been split as to whether business owners qualify as participants under ERISA and are entitled to the same legal protections as employees, including protection from creditors in the event of bankruptcy. […]

News Notes: Who’s A Supervisor For Purposes Of Automatic Employer Liability For Harassing Conduct?

April Chapman sued Sonoma County, claiming she was sexually harassed by her supervisor, Brian Enos. A trial court found that the county wasn’t automatically liable for Enos’s conduct because he didn’t qualify as a supervisor under California’s sexual harassment law. Now a California appeal court has reversed that ruling. To be considered a supervisor, an […]