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The question of who can be sued for work-related actions has become a hot topic in recent years. The California Supreme Court clarified that supervisors couldn’t be held individually responsible for workplace discrimination claims. But the California Legislature recently said any employee can be sued for harassment.
Below is a special report filed by Steve Bruce, a BLR editor attending the SHRM Employment Law and Legislative Conference in Washington, DC this week.
In yesterday’s Advisor, we got expert tips on developing a disaster plan. Today, there’s more on some specific disaster-planning issues and an introduction to a policy program that will help you with your disaster policy and all your key HR policies. Who Calls 911? If somebody needs emergency medical services, or there is another emergency, […]
Ubiquitous Affirmative Action Policy Is Unenforceable, Meaninglessby Kurt Ronn, president and founder, HRworks If a tree falls in the forest, and nobody is there to hear it fall, does it make a sound? If affirmative action regulations are so complex, so broad that they impact nearly everyone, so constantly changing that no one can keep […]
Two former interns recently sued the producer of the Oscar-winning film “Black Swan” for minimum wage and overtime law violations, hitting headlines nationwide. The case is a good illustration of some of the inherent dangers of taking on interns.
No one can predict if so-called “bird flu” will spread to humans worldwide, but if it does, businesses need to be ready. Here are factors to consider in your planning. (First of two parts.) Good business practice means following the saying, “Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.” These days, one of he […]
Before terminating or taking any other adverse action against an employee, employers must consider not only whether the employee is in a protected category, but also whether the employee’s friends or family are, too. Lawsuits alleging discrimination or retaliation by association appear to be on the rise, an attorney warned attendees at the Society for Human Resource […]
Although what the changes will mean to employers remains to be seen, there has been a big shake-up at the state agency that oversees employment matters. Among those leaving are Acting Director Chuck Cake, Acting Chief Deputy Director Suzanne Marria, and Labor Commissioner Arthur Lujan.
The worst-case scenario in defending against discrimination claims is the “smoking gun.” (“Too old for this job” written on a candidate’s resume, for example.) In today’s CED, several of the less outrageous mistakes that can still shoot your defense to pieces.
Responding to legal challenges by both employer and labor organizations, a trial court judge has refused to throw out California’s new workplace ergonomics rules, which took effect on July 3, 1997. Plus, the court ruled that the regulations, aimed at reducing repetitive motion injuries, must apply to all California employers and struck down an exemption […]