• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly
Connection failed: SQLSTATE[HY000] [2002] No such file or directory

California

When providing benefits, make sure they go to everyone entitled to them

01/24/2014
Benefits like vacation, sick leave, relocation payments and the like must be provided equally to all similarly situated employees. Don’t reward some with additional perks and leave others out—unless you’re willing to risk a lawsuit.

Seeking enforceable arbitration agreement? Be certain it’s not tilted in your favor

01/24/2014
Want to arbitrate employment disputes rather than drag them out in state or federal court? Then make sure the arbitration agreement you use is fair to both sides and doesn’t include any obviously one-sided clauses favoring the employer.

Difficult employee broke your rules? No need to fear legitimate termination

01/24/2014

Do you have a difficult employee you just know is going to sue you if you fire him? That’s no reason to treat him with kid gloves. Just make sure you have a rock-solid reason for the discharge. You may still be sued, but the case likely won’t go far.

Be alert for health, safety whistle-blowing

01/24/2014
Here’s a warning for federal government employers: Just about any internal complaint about agency wrongdoing may be protected activity under the Whistleblower Pro­­tec­­tion Act (WPA).

Complaint? Warn boss against adverse action

01/24/2014
Don’t let your organization fall into the retaliation trap. Make sure all supervisors understand that nothing should change for an employee after he files a discrimination complaint without prior approval from HR. Then, act only if it’s clear the proposed action has nothing to do with the complaint.

Parrot Cellular pays $4.2M to stop EBSA squawking

01/03/2014
Executives of Parrot Cellular, a Cen­­tral Valley and Bay Area cellphone retailer, have agreed to pay just under $4.2 million to the company’s em­­ployee stock ownership plan (ESOP) following a probe by the U.S. Depart­­ment of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA). Investigators found that company owners had the plan buy company stock at highly overvalued rates.

EBSA sours on Sunkist’s retirement fund accounting

01/03/2014
A U.S. Department of Labor Em­­ployee Benefit Security Admin­­is­­tra­­tion (EBSA) investigation has revealed that Sunkist Growers and its fiduciaries improperly used retirement plan funds to pay salaries and benefits for several employees and managers.

How do California’s new immigration laws affect documenting eligibility to work?

12/24/2013
Q. I have heard that the state’s new immigration laws restrict how we handle documenting an applicant’s right to work. Can you tell me more?

Are retreat prizes taxable income?

12/24/2013
Q. We hold a team-building retreat every year where we give employees prizes after completing certain challenges. Are those prizes considered taxable income?

Slay the wage-and-hour dragon before it breathes class-action fire

12/24/2013
Employers increasingly understand the financial burden of defending wage-and-hour class-action lawsuits—not to mention possible settlement payments or damages following un­­suc­­cessful attempts to defend those suits. There are some practical steps you can take to dodge the threat of a costly class-action lawsuit.