Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
After a jury awarded Jill Lansdale $1.1 million in her gender-bias lawsuit against Hi-Health Supermarket in Arizona, a court promptly reduced the award to $200,000, which is the maximum permitted under federal Title VII (for employers the size of Hi-Health). Lansdale argued that the cap discriminated against women, especially because race-bias suits aren’t subject to […]
The California Industrial Welfare Commission (IWC) is no longer in operation. State budget cutbacks eliminated the IWC, which determined wages, hours, and working conditions of employees in various occupations, trades, and industries. The agency also published wage orders. However, employers are still required to post the appropriate wage order in their workplace, and the Division […]
Recently, a California employer was hauled into court by an employee because the employer refused to reimburse its workers for their actual automobile business expenses. Instead, the employer paid an increased commission that it contended was fully sufficient to cover an employee’s business use of his or her personal vehicle. An appeals court took the […]
Amazon.com updates its list of the bestselling books every hour. Here is a snapshot of what is hot right now, this Monday morning, April 18, in the “Business Life” section of the “Business and Investing” category. 1. Winners Never Cheat: Even in Difficult Times, New and Expanded Edition by Jon M. Huntsman and Glenn Beck. […]
New supervisors don‘t understand their new power, says attorney Jeffrey Wortman, and HR Managers had better teach them about it before they make an expensive mistake. Wortman’s comments were part of a wide-ranging discussion delivered to an enthusiastic audience at BLR’s Second Annual National Employment Law Update, held last week in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Next […]
A new publication from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health includes recommendations for limiting the negative effects of shift work. Among the strategies covered are scheduling heavy or demanding work when employees are most alert, avoiding quick shift changes and eliminating permanent night shifts. A free copy of the publication “Plain Language About […]
A former San Francisco Municipal Railway custodian sued her employer, claiming that two male co-workers made lewd gestures and sexually explicit comments to her. Lisa Mixon, who started working for the transit agency in 1996, also said that one of the offenders offered her money in exchange for sex. She further charged that she was […]
Warning a new employee that coworkers might behave offensively won’t get you off the hook for being sued for harassment. When Larhonda Williams interviewed for a receptionist position with Snyder Roofing and Sheet Metal, the company told her she would be exposed to coarse language on the job, and she said she could handle it. […]
Beginning February 1 and through April 30, 2006, you’re required to post the Cal-OSHA Form 300A annual summary log of injuries and illnesses that occurred in 2005. Even if you had no recordable injuries or illnesses in 2005, you must still post a summary with zeros in the total line. This posting requirement applies to […]
The following is a list of the bestselling paperback business books as ranked by the New York Times on July 20. 1. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell. How and why certain products and ideas become fads. 2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen […]