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Senate Votes Down Health Care Reform Repeal Legislation

On Wednesday, February 2, the U.S. Senate voted 51-47 against a largely symbolic amendment that would repeal the health care reform legislation enacted last year. (The amendment was to an unrelated Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funding bill.) Senate Republicans unanimously backed the amendment, which would have repealed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), […]

Open and Honest Communication

People want to know what’s going on where they work. They want to know what the organization is trying to accomplish — the mission thing. They want to know how the business is going to get there — the vision thing.  And, most of all, they want to know how the company is doing at […]

Fingerprint Checks and Reference Checks in California

Yesterday, we got some insights on background checks from Jared Callahan, a licensed private investigator and the director of client services for Employment Screening Resources (ESR) in Novato. Today, his thoughts on two more common “checks”: fingerprint checks and reference checks.

Election Reflections from Dozens of Employment Law Attorneys

Tuesday’s election brought tremendous change to Congress and many state legislatures and swept in a number of new governors. Many of the promises made by these newly elected government officials will affect employers. Following the election, various members of the Employers Counsel Network took the time to provide their insight on the local and national […]

Hot List: New York Times Bestselling Hardcover Business Books

The following is a list of the bestselling hardcover business books as ranked by the New York Times with data from Nielsen BookScan on February 28. 1. All the Devils Are Here: The Hidden History of the Financial Crisis by Bethany McLean and Joe Nocera. Two business journalists ex­amine the financial crisis of 2008. 2.  […]

A Tool to Train in the Wider Aspects of Sexual Harassment

Most employees likely think of harassment in male vs. female terms. A new BLR interactive CD-ROM training course will make them conscious of a wider perspective. Ask your employees, or even your supervisors, for an example of “sexual harassment,” and you’ll likely hear the best-known version of it … a male showering a female with […]

Ban the Box Laws: Are You Affected?

‘Ban-the-box’ laws are laws that say you cannot have a question on your application that asks ‘do you have a criminal conviction?’ Typically, applications will ask for an explanation or description if the answer was yes. This forces immediate disclosure.

More Reasons for Wellness in the Workplace

These findings illustrate how providing exercise facilities at the workplace is in business’ self-interest. Well: Less Active at Work, Americans Have Packed on Pounds. Click here for the actual study. Have you ever looked at the black and white pictures of Americans (waiting in line, working, at a baseball game … whatever) before 1965 with […]

News Flash: Microsoft Settles Temporary Worker Lawsuit For $97 Million

Microsoft Corp. has agreed to pay $96.9 million to settle a class action lawsuit brought by long-term workers who claimed the company misclassified them as temporary employees to avoid paying benefits. The so-called “permatemps”-who performed the same work as full-time staff-sought benefits such as health insurance and participation in the company’s lucrative employee stock purchase […]