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News Notes: Nonunion Workers’ Right To Bring A Co-Worker Upheld
We previously reported on a ruling by the National Labor Relations Board that extended to nonunion employees the right to bring a co-worker to a meeting that may have disciplinary consequences. Now a federal appeals court has upheld the NLRB ruling, expanding to nonunion employees a right that has been recognized for union workers since […]
Workers’ Compensation: Governor Signs Reform Package, Employers to Soon See Savings
Gov. Davis has signed landmark legislation to reform California’s troubled workers’ compensation system and put a lid on the upward spiral in workers’ comp costs faced by California employers. And now, after having pored over the numbers, the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB) has recommended that the 12 percent pure premium rate increase scheduled […]
Sick Leave: SF Approves Transition Period for Paid Sick Leave
We reported last week that the San Francisco Board of Supervisors was considering an ordinance that would give employers an additional transition period before San Francisco’s controversial paid sick leave law, Chapter 12W, takes full effect. The paid sick leave law was approved by voters and took effect on Feb. 5, 2007.
San Francisco Minimum wage, Other Living Wage Rages Going Up
Race Discrimination: Posh Hotel Will Pay Over $1 Million For Replacing Minority Bellmen With “Cool Looking” White Workers
The Mondrian Hotel and its Sky Bar, a hangout for a hip Hollywood clientele, agreed to pay $1.08 million to settle a suit brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of a group of mostly minority bellmen who claimed they were fired because they looked “too ethnic.” The workers were allegedly replaced with […]
News Notes: Sacramento Lawmakers Introduce Harassment Bill
A new bill introduced in the state Legislature would expand the antiharassment provisions of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) to require employers to protect workers from harassment by clients and customers. A.B. 76 is a response to a recent court ruling that employers aren’t liable under the FEHA for harassment by clients […]
Friday Fun: Lawyers Acting Silly
We’ve just uploaded the video footage of our “ERI Players” skit – A Day in the Life of HR – from November’s California Employment Law Update conference in San Francisco. The “ERI Players” are lawyers and HR experts who spoke at the conference, joined by John Young, a BLR employee – the skit covers a […]
News Notes: New Health Plan Notice Rules In Effect
Following on the heels of new benefit and notice requirements for health plans offering maternity coverage, a new federal law mandates that any plans that cover mastectomies must also cover breast reconstruction and prostheses. Employees have to be notified about these benefits at the beginning of this year. Check with your health benefits provider for […]
EEOC Weighs in on Reasonable Accommodations for Disabled Lawyers
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued a new fact sheet addressing reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for attorneys with disabilities. The new publication is available on the agency’s website. According to the EEOC, one goal of the fact sheet is to dispel the myth that disabled lawyers who […]