Short Takes: Ergonomics
Do we have to have an ergonomics program?
Tag: california hr
Short Takes: New Hires Reporting
What’s the rule on reporting new hires?
Health and Wellness: We Have a “Presenteeism” Problem; Can We Send Sick Employees Home?
We sometimes have employees who appear to be sick. We say, hey, maybe you should go home for the rest of the day. They say, oh, no, I’m good, and they go back to work. We suspect they are hanging on because they don’t want to use their sick leave. But I don’t want them […]
You’re the Expert: What can I do to encourage employees to work safely?
Our accident rate is rising along with our workers’ comp costs, and management wants me to reverse the trend. What can I do to encourage employees to work safely?
Unions: How Far Can We Go in Discouraging a Union Drive?
We’ve gotten word that a union is going to try to organize our manufacturing arm’s workers. I’m not sure what to tell the managers and supervisors about how far they can go to encourage their workers to reject the union. Can you give some general guidelines? — Thomas T., HR Manager in Berkeley
Employee Leave: Update on SF Sick Leave Ordinance
On Feb. 5, 2007, San Francisco’s controversial paid sick leave law went into effect. Under the new law, all employees working in the City and County of San Francisco accrue paid sick leave at the rate of one hour for every 30 hours worked, up to a maximum of 72 hours (or 40 hours for […]
Wage and Hour: Loan Company to Pay Millions in Overtime Dispute
E-Loan Inc. has agreed to pay out up to $13.6 million to settle a wage and hour class action charging overtime and meal period violations with respect to approximately 500 mortgage loan consultants in the company’s Pleasanton and Dublin offices. Employees who worked in those locations from December 2001 through June 2006 are eligible to […]
Discrimination: OFCCP Reports Record Financial Recoveries
The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has reported that in 2006, it recovered a record-breaking $51,525,235 million on behalf of a record 15,273 workers. The OFCCP enforces various federal employment discrimination laws with respect to government contractors. The 2006 figures represent a 14 percent increase over recoveries in 2005, and a 78 percent […]
Work-Life Balance: What Are Your Employees Up to During the Workday?
Two new surveys reveal that while workers report spending an average of 36 minutes per day—or about three hours a week—attending to personal tasks during the workday, executives believe the actual number is much higher. The surveys were conducted by staffing firm OfficeTeam.
Discrimination: EEOC Says Job Bias Complaints Are Up
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has reported that it received 75,768 discrimination complaints against private-sector employers in 2006, up from 75,428 complaints in 2005. The increase is the first since 2002, and complaints alleging pregnancy discrimination and sexual harassment of men hit all-time highs. All charge categories edged up from 2005 figures, with […]