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California Supreme Court Focuses on Wage and Hour Issues

Already set to decide the troublesome meal period issue (whether employers must “ensure” or “provide” employee meal periods) in Brinker Restaurant Corp. v. Superior Court and Brinkley v. Public Storage, Inc., the California Supreme Court has just agreed to review two other cases involving wage and hour issues.

Courts, Agencies Take Mixed Actions Affecting Same-sex Partners

Branches of the federal government have taken divergent actions affecting same-sex partners. A federal district court upheld a state law defining marriage as occurring between a man and a woman; meanwhile, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management has issued final and proposed regulations to expand federal employees’ benefits coverage to their same-sex partners and those […]

Disciplining Harassers: Court Considers What Is An Adequate Response To Co-Worker Sexual Harassment

If an employee reports being sexually harassed by a co-worker, you could be on the hook for steep damages if you don’t effectively investigate and remedy the problem. You may be tempted to take drastic disciplinary measures against the harasser to ensure that you’ve met your legal obligations. But according to a new Ninth Circuit […]

Affinity groups: good for employees, good for business

When Tanuj Gupta joined AstraZeneca in 2006, he didn’t know many of his coworkers. “When I found out there were Employee Network Groups, I thought it was a great way to meet more people within the company,” says the executive director of external medical relations. And it was: “I met a fantastic group of people […]

DOWNER: Transit benefit capped at $125/month starting Jan. 1

Your employees might be disappointed when they learn their tax exempt transit benefits are no longer $230 next month. Commuter benefits for mass transit are a top benefit offered by companies. But the monthly $230 cap for mass transit is set to be cut nearly in half to $125 a month in just six days – […]

More Delays in Health-reform Implementation; Oct. 1 Start for Exchanges Compromised

The federal agencies implementing health reform continue to delay aspects of roll-out, especially as they relate to state-based health insurance marketplaces (also called “exchanges”), which are supposed to be up and running on Oct. 1. The Obama White House announced on Sept. 27 that federally run health-insurance exchanges, required by health care reform, will not […]

Ethicist "Lying Employee" Column Kicks Up a Storm: Our Readers Talk Back!

By BLR Founder and CEO Bob Brady Readers deliver a veritable flood of responses—mostly critical—to The Ethicist column about how to handle a lying employee. My column two weeks back concerned some advice that The Ethicist (a newspaper columnist) gave concerning an employee who claimed she needed leave because she was suffering from cancer. Her […]