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Changing FMLA Policy? Could Be ‘Worst Mistake’
By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady You’ve been diligently following the sweeping—and confusing—changes to the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). You’ve even instituted changes to your policies to make sure you’re in compliance. It could be the worst mistake you’ve made all year, says Attorney […]
New York Employer Learns Costly Lesson About Paying the Correct Prevailing Wage Rate
By Zachary D. Morahan, Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP “Prevailing wages” are the premium wage rates paid to employees who perform labor on a “public” project, often a construction or highway project. Employers in the construction trade know all too well that the failure to pay the correct prevailing wage can have dire consequences, regardless of […]
And the Survey Says . . . We Have a Problem
The results of a recent survey of our employees here at BLR are in and, frankly, I’m concerned. You see, our survey contained 27 statements about our work environment. The employees were asked whether they agreed with each statement and how strongly they agree or disagree with it. The statements covered individual, departmental, and company-wide […]
Unwanted Scrutiny: Feds Investigate Self-funded Health Plans and Stop-loss
The federal government seems to be fishing around for evidence showing that self-insured health health plans will siphon off healthy lives from state-run insurance exchanges (a cornerstone of reform). On April 26, the U.S. Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS) and IRS/Treasury issued a set of questions about the use of stop-loss […]
Discrimination: EEOC Settles Big Race and National Origin Bias Suits
Over the last few weeks, several multimillion-dollar race and national origin settlements and verdicts have hit the headlines. The recent developments—all involving cases brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)—serve as reminders to all employers of the need to train managers on preventing workplace bias and to respond promptly and effectively to employee […]
You Violated a Safety Rule—Comp or No Comp?
In yesterday’s Advisor, we looked at two informative comp cases. Today, another case, plus an introduction to the one-stop, online HR problem solver, HR.BLR.com. If you violated a safety rule and were injured, do you get workers’ compensation? When Peter Mars first joined Bowman Company as a machine operator, his supervisor, Jim Larson, gave him […]
News Notes: Court Gives Green Light To Privacy Suit Over Hidden Cameras
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has given employees at Consolidated Freightways’ Mira Loma terminal the go-ahead to sue their employer under state law for invasion of privacy after video cameras were discovered hidden behind two-way mirrors in men’s and women’s restrooms. The company argued that the case should be thrown out because a determination […]
More Training Planned to Offset ‘Brain Drain’ from Impending Retirements
In a joint poll released by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and AARP, 72% of HR professionals report that the loss of talented workers is “a problem” or a “potential problem” for their organizations. And that is no surprise when, as SHRM and AARP point out, Pew Research Center data indicate that 10,000 […]
CA Attorneys Have to Make a Living—Unfortunately, by Suing You
California attorneys have to make a living, says Christopher C. Hoffman, and they’re doing it by suing. They’re getting more creative and more aggressive, even in areas like wage and hour.