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Equal Pay: Female Lab Workers Charge Pay Bias

An Alameda County Superior Court judge has certified a class action lawsuit on behalf of as many as 10,000 women who claim they were passed over for promotions and paid less than male colleagues at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. An attorney representing the scientists estimated that the employer may face damages of more than $250 […]

Short Takes: Dress Codes

Our dress code says females working in the office cannot wear pants. One of our ladies says that in California, women have a “right to wear pants.” Is this true?

Temporary Workers: Union Sues Ventura County For Using Temps

In the latest example of the trend toward challenging the use of temporary workers by government and private employers, Ventura County’s largest labor union, the Service Employees International Union, has sued the county. The union charges that the county paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in the past year to temporary workers in clerical, maintenance […]

News Notes: “Serial” Harasser Costs Employer $1 Million

Three employees were awarded more than $1 million in damages after claiming that their employer failed to stop a co-worker who was harassing company employees for nearly two decades. The employees, who worked as customer service representatives for Ameritech Corp., alleged the co-worker had harassed 18 women over a 19-year period before finally being fired […]

Is Your FMLA Poster Showing? March 8 is the Deadline

Employers covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act must have the U.S. Department of Labor’s poster hanging by COB March 8. In February, the U.S. Department of Labor issued new regulations that implement and clarifiy amendments to expand military leave entitlements under the Family and Medical Leave Act. In addition, the final rule: (1) […]

Put Sharks in Key Positions for 2010

Yesterday’s Advisor featured six of consultant Jon Gordon’s tips for reenergizing employees in a down economy. Today, we’ll look at three more of his suggestions (including one about sharks) and a New Year’s Resolution Special—a webinar all about how you can be a better boss in 2010. [Go here for tips 1 through 6 ] 7. Teach […]

Exempt Employees: New Case Looks At Administrative Exemption From Overtime

Misclassifying an employee as exempt from overtime can cost employers potentially huge payouts of past overtime. Last year alone, the federal Department of Labor ordered employers to pay $134 million in back wages to misclassified employees. And that doesn’t count court judgments. Now a new Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision may cause you to […]

Americans with Disabilities Act: EEOC Updates Reasonable Accommodation Enforcement Guidance; What You Should Know Now

The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has updated its enforcement guidance concerning reasonable accommodation and undue hardship under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The revisions stem from a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that it is unreasonable for an employer to have to reassign a disabled employee if doing so would violate a seniority system, […]