Archive for the ‘State Labor Law’ Category

A court case involving Wal-Mart that dates back to 2006 but is still making its way through appeals underscores the importance of the language — and promises — made in employee handbooks. A Pennsylvania court awarded some 187,000 current and former Wal-Mart and Sam's Club employees in the state $187.6 million in back wages, liquidated [...]

On New Year's Day, an E-Verify mandate took hold in Georgia for firms with 500 or more employees. The mandate will progressively expand so that, by July 2012, firms with 100-499 employees will be required to employ E-Verify, and by next January all companies with 11 or more employees will be covered. Companies with 10 [...]

Connecticut today becomes the first state in the nation to have a paid sick leave policy on the books. The law applies to firms with 50 or more service workers. Because of the confusion over what constitutes a service worker, the state Department of Labor has been involved in an ongoing outreach program to educate [...]

Much like New York's Wage Theft Protection Act (WTPA), California has enacted legislation taking effect this Jan. 1 that mandates employees to notify non-exempt employees of their wage guarantees and protections. With the same name as its New York counterpart, the Golden State mandate applies to new hires and requires employers to inform these newcomers [...]

New York's Wage Theft Prevention Act (WTPA) takes effect on Jan. 1, 2012, giving employers until Feb. 1, 2012, to provide their employees with the following information in writing: Their wage rate, and how it is computed (hourly, salaried, commissioned, etc.) Their overtime rate, if applicable The company's pay dates The company's name and DBAs, [...]

With its recent announcement that it had entered into a National Mediation Agreement with Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc., the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is now helping more than 200 firms nationwide resolve disputes with their employees without going to court. The EEOC is charged with enforcing the harassment and discrimination statutes of [...]

The city of Seattle has passed an ordinance requiring businesses within the city to offer sick and safe days to workers who qualify. Sick days may be for the employee or to care for family members. Safe days provide domestic violence victims days off to relocate, file charges, or attend court proceedings. The ordinance will [...]

In one of the ironies of so-called "right-sizing," as payrolls decline, workers' compensation costs rise. With fewer employees, companies must pay more to cover the liability, which is suddenly spread thinner. That and other reasons is behind an almost nationwide rise in workers' compensation rates. Rates are usually determined by size of the workforce covered, [...]

Following one day after Oregon raised its minimum wage, Washington announced it was hiking its minimum hourly rate to $9.04 to adjust for inflation as tracked by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The rate, up from the current $8.67, is effective Jan. 1, 2012. Washington and Oregon ($8.80 in 2012) have the two highest state [...]

Oregon will hike its minimum wage by 30 cents to $8.80 an hour come Jan. 1, 2012, adjusting the rate for 3.77-percent inflation as recorded by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the period ending Aug. 30, 2011. Oregon is one of 10 states to hitch its minimum wage to the CPI. Washington, also one [...]