Category: Uncategorized

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Disabilities: How Should We Deal With an Employee We Think Is Mentally Ill?

We have an employee with what I think are mental health problems. The person has angry outbursts—not violent exactly, but pretty wild when they happen. My question is, how do we approach this person? I don’t think I should be saying, “Hey, I think you have manic depression,” but I don’t know what approach is […]

Drugs & Alcohol: Do I Have to Interview an Applicant Who Takes Medical Marijuana?

One of our current employees has referred a friend for employment under our employee referral program, which rewards employees who refer applicants if we end up hiring them. The employee mentioned that the friend uses marijuana for medical purposes. I don’t really want to consider this person because we are a drug-free workplace, but I’m […]

House Votes to Boost Minimum Wage

By a vote of 315 to 116, the U.S. House of Representatives has voted to approve legislation that would boost the federal minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $7.25 per hour in three steps over a period of 26 months. The measure now moves to the Senate for consideration. Under the legislation, the federal […]

Employment Law Tip: Tomorrow Is Deadline for Cal-OSHA Posting

Tomorrow, February 1, is the deadline for posting the Cal-OSHA Form 300A, annual summary log of injuries and illnesses that occurred in 2006. The form must remain posted until April 30, 2007. Even if you had no recordable injuries or illnesses in 2006, you must still post a summary with zeros in the total line. […]

Employee Expenses: DLSE Proposes Expense Reimbursement Rules

Under Labor Code section 2802, employers must indemnify employees for “all necessary expenditures or losses” an employee incurs in direct connection with performing his or her job duties. But employers, employees, and courts have grappled with issues such as what must be reimbursed and at what rates, and whether paying an increased salary or commission […]

IRS Announces 2007 Retirement Plan Contribution Limits

The Internal Revenue Service has released cost-of-living adjustments for contributions to employee retirement plans, including 401(k), 403(b), and 457 plans, as well as profit-sharing, SIMPLE, and SEP plans. For information on the new limits, go to the IRS website. 10 Tips for Effective, Legal Performance Appraisals Don’t let your performance appraisals fall by the wayside. […]

Exit Interviews: Do Employers Listen to Employee Feedback?

A recent survey of 150 executives shows that most employers—76 percent—are acting on feedback given by departing employees during exit interviews. The survey was conducted for staffing service OfficeTeam by an independent research firm. When asked how often they acted on information gathered during exit interviews with departing employees, 19 percent of executives polled said […]

Classification Changes: Do I have to notify an employee before I change her status from exempt to nonexempt?

Do I have to notify an employee before I change her status from exempt to nonexempt?     For various legal and practical reasons, you should give notice in this circumstance. Two of those reasons: 1) Employers are required to keep records of a nonexempt employee’s hours worked each day, which typically means that nonexempt […]