Category: HR Management & Compliance

There are dozens of details to take care of in the day-to-day operation of your department and your company. We give you case studies, news updates, best practices and training tips that keep your organization fully in compliance with ever-changing employment law, and you fully aware of emerging HR trends.

Pending Legislation: Bill Would Impose Big Penalties for Misclassifying Employees as Independent Contractors

A bill pending in the state legislature would crack down on employers that intentionally misclassify employees as independent contractors in order to avoid unemployment insurance responsibilities. The measure, A.B. 2186, authorizes the Employment Development Department to assess a penalty of $25,000 against any employer who willfully, purposefully, or intentionally misclassifies an employee as an independent […]

More Employees Declining Health Benefits

A new study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reveals that the percentage of workers who accepted their employer’s offer of healthcare insurance dropped from 85.3 percent in 1998 to 80.3 percent in 2003. The drop means that 3 million fewer workers who are eligible for employer-sponsored health coverage elected to enroll in it over […]

Update Your Job Descriptions for New Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Overtime Rules

Executive Summary New Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime rules raise the salary threshold for exemption almost threefold, to $455 per week FLSA rules say job title is insufficient to establish exemption Detailed, accurate job descriptions are required to support overtime pay exemption under FLSA guidelines, says Department of Labor (DOL) The U.S. Department of […]

Employment Law Tip: Preparing for a Wage-Hour Investigation

Wage and hour investigations are often the result of a complaint filed by an employee or former employee. But sometimes the U.S. Department of Labor, or a state agency, targets specific industries for audits. During an investigation, the DOL will visit the business and gather data on wages, hours, and other employment conditions or practices. […]

Target Corp. Hit with Child Labor Violation Fines

Target Corporation has paid the U.S. Department of Labor $92,400 in penalties to resolve charges that the retailer exposed young workers to hazardous machinery, in violation of federal child labor standards. The violations occurred at several New York stores and one in New Jersey. In connection with the resolution, Target also provided the DOL with […]

New FMLA Rules Coming Soon

The U.S. Department of Labor, which enforces the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), has announced that it will soon publish—by June 2006—a new rule conforming the department’s regulations to recent court decisions concerning the FMLA.