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Under a little-known federal law—the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Civil Relief Act—the maximum interest rate that may be charged to active military service members for obligations incurred before active duty is limited to 6%. And now the federal Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration has announced that this interest cap applies to employee benefit plan loans. Federal […]
A new study by Mellon Financial Corp. reveals that 81 percent of employers offer employee assistance programs, up from 70 percent in 1996, and 54 percent provide family sick days, up from 42 percent. Although only 6 percent of employers offered domestic partner benefits seven years ago, 35 percent of employers do now. The study […]
On July 24, the federal minimum wage rose to $5.85 per hour, with further increases in the next two years that will take the rate to $7.25 per hour. Most California employers aren’t affected by this rate increase, as the California minimum wage remains higher. However, all employers are required to post the current federal […]
Under a new policy, the U.S. Department of Labor and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, which oversees government contractors, will no longer inspect I-9 forms when visiting a worksite to follow up on worker complaints about labor violations. The policy shift is an attempt to encourage undocumented employees to file such complaints without […]
Discrimination lawsuits doubled between 1992 and 1996, according to a new report from the U.S. Courts’ Administrative Office. And the problem is likely to get worse. In May, we reported that employers paid record amounts to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) over the last few years. Now top EEOC lawyers have promised to step […]
Monrovia Nursery in Visalia, which sells plants and plant materials to federal agencies, has agreed to pay out more than $511,000 to 240 women who alleged that the company’s hiring practices discriminated against qualified female applicants. The settlement grew out of a compliance review by the Labor Department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.
In the wake of the recent hurricane that has devastated parts of the Gulf Coast and left thousands homeless, many employers across the country are organizing charitable giving campaigns in their workplaces to enable employees and the employer, often in the form of matching gifts, to help the hurricane victims. Here’s online contact information for […]
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the National Labor Relations Board erred when it found BE&K Construction Co. guilty of unfair labor practices for suing several unions to stop their campaign against the company. BE&K sued after the unions picketed and distributed leaflets to force the company to build a power plant using only […]
The state Insurance Commissioner has recommended a 10.5% increase in the pure premium rates for workers’ compensation insurance as of Jan. 1, 2003. The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau had requested a 13.4% increase, but the commissioner questioned some of the bureau’s future cost estimates.