The U.S. Department of Labor today issued this proposed rule that would change the methods the government uses to measure workplace exposures to toxic substances and hazardous chemicals.
Under the proposed rule, the DOL will require that before agencies can issue rulemaking dealing with health issues, they first must solicit input on studies, scientific information, and
It’s a slow news week in American labor and employment law, so we have to go all the way to Russia for a newsworthy story: a Russian judge recently ruled that sex harassment is lawful because it’s necessary for human procreation. According to the judge, sex harassment is "gallant," not criminal: "If we had no
Here’s something to be watching: a bill currently winding its way through Congress is likely to bring significant changes to the Americans with Disabilities Act. The bill, knows as the ADA Amendments Act ("ADAAA"), will greatly broaden the scope of the ADA.
Some highlights of the ADAAA:
A 6-foot-tall, 250-pound mail carrier in Lacey, Washington, wants the U.S. Postal Service to add kilts as a uniform option for men, according to this article from the Seattle PI. David Peterson, the mail carrier/kilt enthusiast in question, has successfully lobbied the Oregon and Washington mail carrier union locals to endorse kilts; however, his efforts were
According to a recent study, plaintiffs in civil lawsuits should be more willing to settle their cases, and perhaps defendants should stick to their guns and take more cases to trial.
The study (as reported in this New York Times article), concludes that when plaintiffs reject the defendant’s settlement offer and go to trial, they end up with a
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
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