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 damages and attorneys' fees because the Wal-Mart employee handbook explicitly promised paid break periods — 15 minutes for every three hours worked.

Wal-Mart argued, unsuccessfully, that its handbook clearly states that it does not represent any contractual obligations, but in the initial case and then on appeal, two Pennsylvania courts found that the language did indeed represent an obligation for paid break time. The only remaining issue still being settled on appeal is the amount for attorneys' compensation. The $78.5 million in compensatory damages and $62.2 million in liquidated damages have been affirmed (though, of course, further appeals could be made).

Employers, make sure your employee handbooks clearly represent what your policies are. You should review and update your handbooks each year to ensure their accuracy and to cover any new developments in employment law (for instance, including a clear social media policy).

A good place to craft your employee handbook for 2012 is Personnel Concepts' online Handbook Center, which will guide you through the process step by step and then have your finished employee handbook reviewed by a human resource specialist. You end up with a Microsoft Word document that you can further edit or stylize.

E-Verify is an online database system managed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) used to check the legal right of people to work in the United States and is used in conjunction with the form I-9 employment verification process.

The Georgia E-Verify mandate is part of its controversial (and still-being-legally-challenged) Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act.

The Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts will conduct random audits to ensure compliance.

Employers, if you want to keep your workforces informed of their rights and obligations regarding the E-Verify process, get a copy of Personnel Concepts' E-Verify Right-to-Work Notice Poster and display it conspicuously.

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 business owners and human resource managers. Another seminar in the outreach effort is slated for Jan. 12, the agency announced.

Heidi Lane, chief attorney for the labor department, said that firms with existing paid sick leave policies must ensure that their time off accrues at the same rate as the new state law, which is one hour for every 40 hours worked, or better.

Other Connecticut laws taking effect today include a new tax credit program for businesses that hire new employees; expanded insurance coverage for breast MRIs, bone marrow tests, colorectal cancer screening and ostomy supplies; and a loan forgiveness program for students who graduate from so-called "green studies" programs.

With the same name as its New York counterpart, the Golden State mandate applies to new hires and requires employers to inform these newcomers of the following:

• Their rate of pay and how it's computed (hourly, weekly, per piece, commission, etc.), along with any withholdings anticipated by the employer
• The name, address, phone numbers and DBAs of the company that is hiring them
• The name, address and phone numbers of the company's workers' compensation provider

The notice, which must be signed by the employee and retained by the employer, must be issued in the principal language of the worker. The state has developed templates in many languages for this purpose. Records are to be retained for a minimum of three years.

The law allows aggrieved workers to file directly with the Labor Commissioner for back wages rather than file a lawsuit. It also subjects employers in violation of the law with fines and possible criminal misdemeanor charges.

• 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, and its main physical address and phone number
• The amount of any allowances for meals, tips and so on claimed by the employer

The notifications must be provided in English and in the employee's primary language if the State of New York has developed a template for that language. Thus far, templates are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Creole, Polish and Russian.

In addition to providing copies of the notices to their employees, employers must retain a signed receipt copy on file for six years. (Under some circumstances, this can be done electronically.) Failure to do so may result in a fine of $50 per week per employee notification violation.

The EEOC is charged with enforcing the harassment and discrimination statutes of the land, and it has used the National Mediation Agreement route to resolve more than 136,000 disputes since the program's inception in 1999. The forum allows discussions toward a resolution of employee grievances outside of an adversarial environment, the EEOC maintains.

Employers, before your employees can file complaints and before the EEOC comes knocking at your door, pick up a copy of Personnel Concepts' EEO Compliance Program today. It will help you erect worksite programs to prevent harassment and discrimination and comply with EEO regulations.

The ordinance will take effect on Sept. 1, 2012. All businesses with at least five full-time equivalent employees (FTEs) are covered. Employer obligations vary by number of employees. 

Companies who employ from 5-49 FTEs must provide at least one hour of leave for every 40 hours worked, up to a maximum of 40 hours. Firms with 50-249 FTEs must meet the same minimum accrual rate, but employees may accumulate as many as 56 hours of leave.

Larger employers must provide leave at the rate of one hour for each 30 hours worked, and employees may accumulate as many as 72 hours.

Employees may roll leave totals over from year to year, but employers are not required to pay employees for accrued hours upon termination. For purposes of counting FTEs, the city counts all company employees whether they are within the city limits or not. So any company that has workers in Seattle must comply with the ordinance.

The ordinance is a minimum requirement and employers are free to provide greater benefits than those the ordinance requires.

That and other reasons is behind an almost nationwide rise in workers' compensation rates. Rates are usually determined by size of the workforce covered, multiplied by a state-approved rate, but other factors can weigh in as well. But other factors, such as market competition, employer size and policy structure influence the actual premium amount paid by an individual insurance buyer.

Not all states are seeing increases, and Alabama leads the nation with a projected 9.3 percent decrease.

Washington and Oregon ($8.80 in 2012) have the two highest state minimum wages in the nation.

Washington update subscribers will receive the new minimum wage panel in their quarterly mailings as soon as it becomes available. Others may inquire about obtaining one by calling Personnel Concepts Customer Service at (800) 333-3795. New purchasers of the Washington All-On-One State and Federal Labor Law Poster will receive the updated panel with their order.

Oregon is one of 10 states to hitch its minimum wage to the CPI. Washington, also one of the 10, will announce its increase today.

The CPI, published by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, is a measure of the average change in prices over time for a fixed "market basket" of goods and services, such as food, shelter, medical care, transportation fares and other goods and services people purchase for day-to-day living.

"Oregonians recognize the rising cost of living facing every one of us, and our strong minimum wage law is essential insurance that Oregon workers and their families can maintain their purchasing power and continue to contribute to our local economies," said State Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian.

The Oregon All-On-One State and Federal Labor Law Poster ships with all the required state posters. Those who subscribe to the Personnel Concepts update service will receive the new minimum panel in the quarterly mailings. Others can call Customer Service at (800) 333-3795 to inquire about obtaining one.