Category: HR Management & Compliance

There are dozens of details to take care of in the day-to-day operation of your department and your company. We give you case studies, news updates, best practices and training tips that keep your organization fully in compliance with ever-changing employment law, and you fully aware of emerging HR trends.

Honest Mistake Costs California Employer

A recent California decision serves as a reminder to employers that the landscape of disability discrimination is quite complex. When an employer evaluates an employee’s disability, the legal consequences of a factual mistake—even an honest mistake—will be borne by the employer.

Fatal Occupational Injuries in California

The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) has released data regarding the number of workplace fatalities for 2014, the most recent numbers available. The good news is the number of Californians who died on the job decreased from the previous year.

California Uber Driver Update

It’s been a common question in California courts—when should a worker be classified as an independent contractor? Drivers for ride-hailing giant Uber will continue to be independent contractors under the terms of a settlement of class-action lawsuits in California and Massachusetts if the settlement receives court approval.

Combating FMLA Abuse

As an employer, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave can be tricky to administer. After all, employers have competing goals: They want to meet their legal obligation to employees (and likely have a desire to help employees get through the situation they’re in, which is necessitating the leave), but they also want to […]

Determining FMLA Eligibility: New Definition of Spouse

In the case of Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave to care for a family member, once the employer has determined whether an individual employee is eligible for FMLA leave, many times the next hurdle is determining if the family member is covered by the FMLA. This determination has become somewhat more complicated as […]

Characteristics of Successful HR Managers

Filling the shoes of a successful HR manager is a tough task; after all, HR managers are responsible for keeping the company in legal compliance on an array of complex topics and keeping the peace by fairly and consistently implementing and communicating all company policies, and more. It’s a difficult and often underappreciated job that […]

New overtime regulations require $47,476 salary for exemption

By Susan Prince, JD, M.S.L., Legal Editor The federal Department of Labor (DOL) is releasing the final changes to the overtime regulations. The most prominent change is the increase in the salary level required for exemption from overtime to an annual salary of $47,476. This translates to a weekly salary of $913.