Effective August 25, 2008, the Department of Transportation will require transportation workers who previously tested positive for prohibited drugs to give urine specimens while being watched by specimen collectors. The new regulations will apply to workers in safety-sensitive positions in the aviation, motor carrier, rail, transit, maritime, and pipeline industries.
Under current regulations, only workers suspected
Earlier this month, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) updated its compliance manual on religious discrimination. This update is timely: according to EEOC statistics, there were 2,880 religious discrimination charges filed with the EEOC in 2007, up nearly 12% from 2006. Want more guidance? The EEOC also has this handy Q&A sheet on
You have an employee who is using the breakroom as his bully pulpit, discussing his political views with his coworkers. Some coworkers complain to you that they don’t want to hear it, so you call the employee in to your office and tell him to keep his views and opinions to himself. A no-brainer, right?
Effective today, July 24, the Federal Minimum Wage increases to $6.55 hour. This is the second of three increases provided for by the enactment of the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007. A third minimum wage increase to $7.25 per hour becomes effective on July 24, 2009.
This increase does not affect most Western states,
We all know that times are tough and layoffs and terminations are on the rise. The New York Times online edition is currently running a very interesting reader’s forum on whether there is a right way to fire someone. (Of course, most of us know there are many wrong ways – a lesson some of
As part of a plea agreement reached earlier this month, Jerry and James Schram, co-owners of a Vancouver, Washington construction company, will serve 30 days of jail time and perform community service. Their crime? Hiding information in an attempt to reduce their workers’ compensation premiums. In addition, the Schrams also pleaded guilty to misdemeanors
Local athletes did remarkably well at the 2008 Track and Field Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, which raises an interesting leave issue. It’s an obscure law, but Oregon requires employers to give Olympic athletes leave to compete. Under ORS 659.865, it is an unlawful employment practice for an employer to infringe on an employee’s
By now, we’ve all read about the Supreme Court decision holding that the Second Amendment guarantees a private right to possess firearms. But here’s an interesting trend in firearms law that directly impacts employers: several states have passed or are considering laws preventing employers from prohibiting employees from keeping firearms in their cars on company
Good news for us consumers of entertainment: members of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists just ratified a new three-year prime-time television agreement with major Hollywood studios and networks. AFTRA represents about 70,000 radio and television performers. Negotiations between the studios and the Screen Actors Guild, however, continue, threatening the continued production
Plaintiffs suing their employers under the Family and Medical Leave Act ("FMLA") may recover lost wages, but they may not recover emotional distress damages. What if an employee misses work because of emotional distress that is caused by a wrongful denial of FMLA leave? The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that such damages are a form of lost wages and therefore may be recovered under FMLA.
Continue Reading Ninth Circuit Affirms “Emotional Distress Damages” Caused by Denial of FMLA Leave