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.

Bias Charge Filings Drop Slightly

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has reported that discrimination charge filings in 2005 were down in all bias categories, and dropped by 5 percent overall. The EEOC received 75,428 charges for the fiscal year 2005 (which ended Sept. 30) and recovered almost $380 million in monetary relief through enforcement actions and litigation. The […]

Labor Union Numbers Remain Steady

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released figures showing that in 2005, 12.5 percent of wage and salary workers were union members, the same percentage as in 2004. Note that while the percentage remained steady, the actual number of union members increased by 213,000. Union membership was at a peak […]

Employment Law Tip: Warding Off Workplace Violence

In late January, a former U.S. postal worker went on a shooting rampage at a mail processing plant in the town of Goleta near Santa Barbara. The ex-employee killed five, wounded another, and then turned the gun on herself. She reportedly had been placed on medical leave from her job in 2003 for psychological reasons–at […]

OFCCP’s Internet Applicant Rule Takes Effect

On February 6, 2006, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Program’s (OFCCP) new e-cruiting rule went into effect. The rule, which sets out recordkeeping requirements for Internet-based job applications, applies to employers that have federal contracts in excess of $10,000.

New Website Launched to Combat Comp Fraud

California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi has unveiled a new website aimed at combatting workers’ compensation fraud by spotlighting workers’ comp fraud convictions. The commissioner says the site will be updated monthly with new conviction data.

Clothier Settles Employee “Uniform” Class Action

Fashion retailer Polo Ralph Lauren has agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit charging that the company violated California law by requiring employees to buy and wear Polo Ralph Lauren clothes on the job or face disciplinary action. The settlement consists of $1 million in cash and $500,000 in gift cards. […]