Tag: DOL
Family and Medical Leave: When Can You Require a New Certification of a Serious Health Condition?
Suppose an employee takes time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for his or her own serious health condition, and you require a healthcare provider’s certification confirming the need for leave. After a year goes by, the employee needs additional leave for the same health problem. Can you require this person to […]
L.A. Restaurant to Pay Over $300,000 for Off-the-Clock Work
888 Seafood Restaurant, a Chinese eatery in the San Gabriel Valley, has agreed to pay $306,500 in overtime back wages following a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) investigation that revealed pay improprieties. The funds will be shared by 57 employees who routinely put in additional work time after they clocked out, according to the DOL. […]
DOL Launches Web Filing for Military Vets’ Complaints
The U.S. Department of Labor has announced that National Guard and reserve service members can now file military leave complaints–under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)–using a new electronic filing service. This new service is the latest in a series of compliance tools developed by the DOL to help educate employers and employees […]
News Bulletin: DOL’s New 5500 Forms Are Available
Pension and welfare benefit plans are generally required to file a yearly return report, which can usually be completed by using the 5500 form that is updated each year. This is an important compliance and research tool for the DOL, and part of ERISA reporting and disclosure rules. For the 2004 form and more information, […]
News Notes: DOL Unveils New E-Laws Advisor For Federal Contractors
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced the latest in its series of e-laws Advisors. The new Advisor assists federal contractors and subcontractors in understanding basic coverage and compliance information for several laws that the DOL’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs enforces. You can access the new Advisor on the DOL website.
Bulletin: Long-awaited FMLA Revisions Delayed Until Next Year
Proposed revisions to Family and Medical Leave Act regulations will not be issued until March 2005, according to the latest regulatory agenda from the Department of Labor. Originally, the Bush administration announced it planned to unveil the revisions in January 2003. The changes to the 1993 leave law have lagged as the DOL repeatedly extended […]
Sexual Harassment: California’s High Court Affirms Automatic Liability for Harassment by Supervisors, But Employers Can Take Steps to Limit Victim’s Damages
In a new ruling, the California Supreme Court has affirmed employers are automatically liable for sexual harassment committed by supervisors, but damages for an employee who doesn’t take reasonable steps to avoid or report supervisor harassment can be reduced. We’ll examine the new case and suggest smart employment practices that can help you limit damages—and […]
Disability Discrimination: Supreme Court Upholds Non-Rehire-for-Drug-Use Policy Violation; Caution Still Required. 3 Practices to Keep You Out of Court
The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld an employer’s refusal to rehire a former employee who violated the company’s drug use policies. This means employers may continue to use neutral policies, but an employee can still prove the employer intentionally discriminated against them and is just using the policy as a pretext to hide wrongdoing. We’ll […]
News Notes: Big Overtime Settlements Reached
The U.S. Department of Labor has announced two sizable overtime settlements with Southern California employers. VCI Telecom Inc., an Upland telecommunications company, has agreed to pay $1,074,375 to settle charges levied by the DOL for not paying overtime to 227 employees. And flooring and tile company Lambard Inc., based in Ontario, will fork over $228,156 […]