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Maine passes gay marriage initiative

by Peter D. Lowe On Tuesday, 53 percent of Mainers voted to allow same-sex marriage. Question 1, which asked “Do you want to allow the State of Maine to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples,” was an indirect initiative. That means that because supporters collected the required number of signatures by January 2012 and the […]

FLSA Wage and Hour Audit Done, No problems … April Fools!

You have no FLSA problems of any kind? Then it’s surely April Fools’ Day! Almost everyone has problems complying with this law. So what do you do when an FLSA audit reveals them? Let’s answer that … and alert you to an excellent self-audit guide to help you fix what needs fixing before it really […]

9 Must-Include Social Media Policy Elements

If you want to prevent social media abuse, says attorney Jody Katz Pritikin, you must develop a social media policy, and your policy must include several key elements. Pritikin is an attorney/investigator/seminar leader for Katz Consulting & Associates in Santa Monica, California. Her suggestions came at the SHRM Employment Law and Legislative Conference, held recently […]

Retaliation–You Can See It Coming!

HR managers get blindsided often enough, but that shouldn’t happen with retaliation claims, says attorney Judith A. Moldover, because you can see them coming. Who feels good about someone complaining about them? No one, so it’s simply human nature to retaliate, says attorney Judith Muldover of the New York City law firm of Ford and […]

Public Comment Period Open on NLRB’s Union-Streamlining Rules

Earlier this week, we reported that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has proposed amended rules that would streamline the union election process, making it easier for employees to unionize. The regulations, which appeared in Wednesday’s Federal Register, firmly divide the pro- and antiunion factions, being lauded by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka as “a commonsense […]

FMLA virtual summit provides opportunity to speak with lawyers

On January 16, 2009, all employers covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) will have a new batch of regulations to contend with. To help HR professionals prepare, M. Lee Smith Publishers offered its first-ever, FMLA virtual summit — a day-long event during which participants could watch online, listen on the phone, and […]

Health and Safety: The Basics of Cal/OSHA Injury Reporting

Most employers know you have to immediately report fatalities or certain serious injuries and illnesses to Cal/OSHA, the state agency that oversees workplace health and safety. But do you know exactly how long you have to report an incident? What information you have to give Cal/OSHA? Or even what phone number to call? It’s critical […]

Wage Claims: Messenger Service Agrees To $9.75 Million Settlement

Corporate Express Delivery Systems Inc. will pay a total of $9.75 million to 4,300 former and current messengers in Hayward, Los Angeles and San Diego who claimed they were underpaid. The messengers, who were compensated on commission, charged that the company failed to pay them minimum wage or overtime and violated rules on expense reimbursement. […]

‘Want to Take a Ride in My New Car?’

We recently covered weird interview questions on the part of the hiring manager. This week we look at some odd questions asked on the other side of the desk. Here are a few responses from a recent OfficeTeam survey that collected weird inquiries from the interviewee. Here are a few: “Do I have to be […]

Proposed GINA rule clears up issue on wellness programs

A new proposed rule from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) settles the question of whether employers are justified in seeking medical information on covered spouses participating in wellness programs. The proposed rule, published in the October 30 Federal Register, would amend regulations implementing Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). The proposed […]