Tag: news

‘Bring-Your-Gun to-Work’ Bill Awaits Governor’s Signature

by David Wagner, Mitzi Martin, and Susan Kline Late Thursday, the Indiana Legislature passed, with overwhelming support, a bill prohibiting employers from keeping employees’ legally-possessed firearms off their property, so long as the firearms are kept out of sight in a locked vehicle. The bill, which mirrors laws in 12 states and was supported by […]

Wal-Mart Settles Sex Discrimination Suit for $11.7 Million

Megaretailer Wal-Mart, called the country’s largest private employer, has agreed to pay $11.7 million to settle a class-action sex discrimination lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In addition to the money, the settlement announced on March 1 requires Wal-Mart to provide jobs to class members as they become available. The EEOC’s suit […]

ICE to Inspect 180 Employers in South

By Hector Chichoni On Tuesday, March 2, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that it had sent 180 notices of inspections (NOIs) to employers in Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. At least 30 NOIs have been sent to employers in Tennessee and another 30 or so to employers located in southern and central […]

Price is Right Model ‘Comes on Down’ with Lawsuit

It’s not all fun and games on the set of game show The Price is Right. A former model on the show, Brandi Cochran, filed a suit in Superior Court in Los Angeles on March 1 claiming she was harassed and discriminated against for being pregnant, according to a report in The Wrap, an entertainment […]

President Signs One-Month COBRA Subsidy Extension Legislation

Late Tuesday night, President Barack Obama signed the Temporary Extension Act of 2010 (H.R. 4691) into law. The bill, which passed the U.S. Senate by a 78-19 vote Tuesday night and passed the U.S. House of Representatives last week, extends the original federal COBRA subsidy created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 […]

The Heath Care Reform Summit and the Future of Reform

Days after President Barack Obama released his own health care reform proposal, he presided over a health care reform summit on Thursday that both Democrats and Republicans attended. The summit was supposed to help the parties find common ground on the issue of health care reform and allow them to discuss their views. Although the […]

What Obama’s New Health Care Reform Proposal Means for Employers

This morning, President Barack Obama released a health care reform proposal that “bridges the gap between the House and Senate bills.” The President released his proposal in advance of the upcoming televised health care summit on Thursday, February 25, and White House officials have noted that the proposal will serve as the starting point for […]

EEOC Proposes Rules Defining ‘Reasonable Factor Other Than Age’

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has proposed regulations that would define “reasonable factor other than age” under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). The need for these rules arises in the wake of the Smith v. City of Jackson decision, a 2008 U.S. Supreme Court case in which the Court addressed the appropriate […]

Mental Health Parity Regulations Now Available

The U.S. Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services, and the Treasury recently published interim final regulations in the Federal Register that implement the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA). These regulations are effective April 5, 2010, and apply to plan years beginning on or […]

Labor Department Changing Farm Worker Rules

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has published new rules for the H-2A Guest Worker Program that have sparked protest from agricultural employers. The new rules, to go into effect March 15, were published in the February 12 edition of the Federal Register. The final rules govern the labor certification process and enforcement mechanisms for […]