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New ADA Guidance on Employment Rights of Visually Impaired Workers

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has released new guidance explaining the rights of the blind and visually impaired under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The new guidance, issued in a question-and-answer format, covers when a vision impairment qualifies as a disability, questions employers may ask applicants and employees about their vision impairments, the circumstances […]

Tool of the Week: White-Collar Exemptions Report

Are you classifying your white-collar workers correctly? Are you sure? Getting it wrong can trigger costly penalties and fines. In our exclusive Special Report, “White-Collar Overtime Exemptions Are Revised–and Could Mean Higher OT Costs for You,” we explain what you need to know in light of the recent revisions to the FLSA. We also provide […]

Auto Insurance: How Do We Ensure that Employees’ Auto Insurance Meets Company Requirements?

Many of our employees drive their privately owned vehicles on company business. We’re concerned about their insurance. Can we make them provide us with a “Certificate of Liability Insurance” listing us as the certificate holder, so we’ll know for sure that their insurance is in effect? Also we’d like to require that they carry higher […]

Meal Periods

This meal period deal is driving me nuts. The workers on our assembly line usually work 6-hour shifts. Most of the crew want to work through the meal break, and we’d like that too—more productivity. But we have a few who insist on their meal break. And we can’t run the assembly line without the […]

Senate Rejects Boost in Federal Minimum Wage

Measures to raise the federal minimum wage to $6.25 per hour, up from the current $5.15 per hour, failed in the Senate last week. One measure, introduced by Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass) as an amendment to a spending bill, was rejected in a 51-47 vote, and a similar GOP-introduced bill went down in a 57-42 […]

Employment Law Tip: Don’t Forget to Post Voting Rights Notice

A special statewide election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2005. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The California Elections Code requires employers in the private and public sectors to allow employees to take paid time off to vote if they don’t have sufficient time outside of work hours, but […]

Employment Law Tip: Turning Leave Time into Help for Hurricane Victims

If you and your employees are looking for valuable ways to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, a new program launched by the Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service may help you out. In particular, the agencies have announced a program for employees to donate leave in exchange for employer cash […]

Family and Medical Leave: Court Rejects Employee’s Bid for FMLA Leave to Care for Pregnant Wife; Actual Care Required

Charles Tellis, an Alaska Airlines maintenance mechanic in Seattle, told his supervisor on July 4 that he needed time off because his wife was having difficulties with her pregnancy. His supervisor suggested Tellis contact the benefits department about taking leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Later that evening, instead of showing up […]

Many Employees Plan to Work Past Normal Retirement Age

Almost 7 out of 10 American workers report that they plan to have a working retirement, working full- or part-time for pay past normal retirement age—and a full 12 percent say they believe they’ll never be able to retire. Another 14 percent say they want to work as volunteers in their golden years, and just […]

401(K) Cashouts a Popular Choice for Departing Workers

A new study by HR consulting firm Hewitt Associates shows that many workers cash out their 401(k) plans when they leave their jobs. The study, which looked at nearly 200,000 workers with 401(k) plans, found that 45 percent elected to take a cash distribution when departing, while the remainder either kept their savings in their […]