Blog
BREAKING OUT OF OFFICE ROUTINES
Enhancing Employee Morale and Productivity with Workforce Competitions In the never-ending quest to promote worker morale on the job, employers are offering an expanding range of clearly creative outlets and opportunities to escape workplace stresses. A search around the web will reveal, for example: Inter-office Chess Competition: this U.K. insurance company holds seasonal team battles […]
CONSTRUCTIVE DISCHARGE
When Employers May be Liable for “Causing” a Resignation As an employer, you might assume the company is immune from any wrongful termination claim if an employee quits on his or her own accord. However, a worker may still prove a business is responsible for wrongful “constructive discharge” even when he or she has deliberately […]
TATTOOS AND BODY PIERCINGS IN THE WORKPLACE
Employers’ Right-to-Appearance Policies Whether an employee’s visible tattoo or body piercing stems from a claimed sense of aesthetics, rebellion or “it seemed like a good idea at the time,” business has discretion to regulate appearance and thus may usually decline to hire, fail to promote or terminate that person on that basis alone. As long […]
BLOOMBERG GENDER DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS DISMISSED
Court Rules Childbearing is a Life Choice Not Entitled to Special Treatment or Extra Benefit A New York federal judge has dismissed the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) effort to bring a “motherhood”-based class action suit against financial and media services giant Bloomberg L.P.. The judge found the EEOC failed to demonstrate sufficient common factual […]
THE EQUAL PAY ACT
Equal Work = Equal Pay The 1963 federal Equal Pay Act (EPA) requires employers to pay men and women equally for performing the same, or essentially the same, work. While the law is worded neutrally (it is just as unlawful to underpay either gender), Congress enacted the EPA to remedy the long-standing pay discrimination against […]
PRE-EMPLOYMENT BACKGROUND CHECKS
Respecting Privacy While Obtaining Necessary Info Hiring outside vendors to conduct pre-employment background checks into any criminal record, bad credit history and/or other matters is a common tool for an employer’s informed hiring decisions. Federal and California laws cover the procedures for such checks, designed to balance a company’s right to research and obtain relevant […]
CALIFORNIA OVERTIME RULES APPLY TO NON-RESIDENT EMPLOYEES
The California Supreme Court has ruled that the state’s overtime requirements apply to work performed in California by non-residents. In Sullivan v. Oracle Corp., three non-resident Oracle employees worked in California as instructors and trained Oracle’s customers in the use of the company’s products. They sued the California-based company for underpayment of compensation under this […]
AT-WILL EMPLOYMENT AND WRONGFUL TERMINATION
California’s Labor Codes do a lot to protect employees but there are some laws that benefit employers as well. For instance, unless a company and an employee agree otherwise, their relationship is presumed to be “at-will.” As defined, this means there is no promise or obligation of continuing employment. Either the employer or employee may […]
FORUM ON HUNGER AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Saturday, July 30, 2011 9:30 A.M. – NOON Youth for Human Rights International presents: REVERSING HUNGER with Irving Sarnoff Founder, Friends of the United Nations Admission Free. Donations Accepted. Brunch, with presentations and panel to follow. Where: Church of Scientology of Pasadena 35 S. Raymond Ave, Pasadena, CA 91105 (626) 792-7533 RSVP: Michele Kirkland (323) 663-5797 director@youthforhumanrights.org […]
WRITTEN EMPLOYEE ATTENDANCE POLICY
It would seem too obvious to have a policy that workers must show up in order to keep their jobs and to be paid. Perhaps it is, but it’s still not a bad idea to issue clear written directives expecting attendance, specifying work days and working hours, and setting procedures for employees to notify the […]