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Despite two failed attempts to unionize the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the United Auto Workers (UAW) on July 10 announced the creation of Local 42, a local that Chattanooga VW workers can join voluntarily. “We’ve had ongoing discussions with Volkswagen and have arrived at a consensus with the company,” Gary Casteel, the UAW’s secretary-treasurer, […]
By Karen Sargeant You’ve terminated an employee’s employment without cause and offered a reasonable package. You’ve negotiated a settlement, prepared the settlement documentation, and paid out the severance. You thought you dotted all your i’s and crossed all your t’s, but you forgot one crucial part – the former employee never signed the release you […]
A new project adds another layer of bureaucratic oversight about which federal employers should be aware when dealing with employees exercising their rights to job protection under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). The U.S. Office of Special Counsel has begun a three-year demonstration project expanding its role in enforcing military servicemember […]
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report and congressional testimony concerning its investigation of the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD). The GAO concluded that the “WHD frequently responded inadequately to complaints, leaving low wage workers vulnerable to wage theft.” This article summarizes the GAO’s report, DOL Secretary Hilda […]
In 1998, Wells Fargo Bank merged with Northwest Bank. Under Wells Fargo’s sick leave policy before the merger, employees earned one sick day a month, and unused sick days could be carried to the next year. At the time, employees also earned a certain amount of paid vacation days a year, which could be carried […]
Most organizations these days believe that "diversity" produces better results. But things get tricky when it comes to diversity training. It’s easy to do significant legal damage, especially with "let-it-all-hang-out" sessions . One of the favorite moves of diversity training facilitators is to ask employees to drop all pretenses, and just go ahead and express […]
U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez announced a proposed rule on June 12 that will raise the minimum wage for workers on federal service and construction contracts to $10.10 per hour. The proposed rule implements the executive order President Barack Obama announced on February 12. The proposed rule provides guidance and sets standards for […]
While social media has taken over many people’s personal lives, when it comes to using it to recruit top talent, very few employers (18%) have success recruiting from sites like Facebook or Twitter, according to a recent Recruiting Daily Advisor survey.
By Liza Casabona In a long anticipated move, the Department of Labor today proposed extending coverage under the Fair Labor Standards Act to 1.79 million workers providing in-home care services to the elderly and infirm. Workers categorized as “companions” are currently exempt from the minimum wage and overtime protections of the Fair Labor Standards Act. […]
By Brian P. Smeenk Many Canadian provinces have in recent years transitioned to an expedited union certification vote system. Votes typically take place within five or 10 business days of a union application. From the perspective of Canadian employers, this is better than the previous “card check” system that was in place in most jurisdictions […]