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Black History Month: Statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau

To commemorate and celebrate the contributions to our nation made by people of African descent, American historian Carter G. Woodson established Black History Week. The first celebration occurred on Feb. 12, 1926. For many years, the second week of February was set aside for this celebration to coincide with the birthdays of abolitionist/editor Frederick Douglass […]

Ruling on Reformation Opens More Adjustments of Plan Terms

A federal appeals court agreed with a retirement plan plaintiff that he did not have to show “actual harm” to seek a retirement plan reformation after alleged inadequate communication about a change in his former employer’s defined benefit plan. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Geoffrey Osberg and other plaintiffs in Osberg […]

California Pregnancy Regulations Revised

The state Fair Employment and Housing Commission has just announced the approval of changes to the state’s pregnancy regulations. The changes go into effect on December 30, 2012. They make significant changes to the existing law, including:

GINA, State Statues, and Your Wellness Program

Yesterday’s Advisor warned of potential legal hassles for wellness programs under HIPAA and NLRA; today, threats from GINA and the states, plus an introduction to the popular wellness guide that will help your program achieve best practice ROIs. Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) GINA (which prohibits discrimination on the basis of genetic information with respect […]

News Notes: U.S. Workers Growing More Dissatisfied With Their Jobs

A growing number of Americans are unhappy with their jobs, according to a new Consumer Research Center survey. Only 51 percent of employees polled were satisfied with their jobs, compared to 59 percent in 1995. And while 40 percent were content with their wages, only 20 percent were happy with their companies’ promotion and bonus […]

An Important BLR Audio Conference: Electronic Storage of Employment Records: How to Do It Legally

Storing employment records electronically involves a whole new set of rules and cautions, compared with doing it on paper. A special October 31 BLR audio conference will tell you what you need to know. As yesterday’s Daily Advisor article on noncompetes pointed out, there are documents that have to do with former employees that can […]

Nebraska: Lone Democrat (Not on Ballot) Remains

by Mark Schorr, Erickson & Sederstrom P.C. Nebraska saw no significant changes as a result of its 2010 elections. All three Republicans in the U.S. House were reelected, with the closest margin of victory being a spread of 62 percent to 38 percent. Republican Governor Dave Heineman also was reelected with a resounding 78 percent […]

Survey Says: Non-Health Benefits Staying Strong

A recent survey conducted by M Lee Smith Publishers offers some surprising insights on non-healthcare benefits. For example, only about 19 percent of respondents offer telecommuting, although 35 percent allow flex time. Nearly a third offer PTO, and about a third offer a wellness program. About 500 employers participated in the survey, which revealed many […]

In Your Facebook: Routine or Risky?

Yesterday’s Advisor covered reasons why HR managers should avoid Internet background checks using Google, Facebook, MySpace, and other websites. But that’s not the end of the story. In our last issue, an HR expert cautioned managers to avoid Internet background checks of potential hires. Legally, she’s right. Realistically, HR people are doing them anyway. The […]

E-Alerts: Wage and Hour: Minimum Wage Increase Petition Under Consideration; New Wage Order Guide Available Online

Last month, the Industrial Welfare Commission rejected a labor-backed petition to increase the state minimum wage, currently at $6.75 per hour. The California Labor Federation reintroduced the petition for IWC consideration at a February 21, 2003 public meeting. But the IWC has once again rejected the petition.