Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Blog”
I hope that you can join us on June 13, 2013, for our latest educational opportunity: “If it Quacks Like a Duck: Properly Classifying Employees and Independent Contractors.”
The improper classification of employees as independent contractors may be one of the most common errors that employers make. The Department of Labor and the Internal Revenue Service have recognized this, have teamed up, allotted additional enforcement resources, and are dramatically increasing their enforcement efforts.
Last month, I wrote about the NLRB’s decision to appeal the Noel Canning case to the U.S. Supreme Court. In Noel Canning, the D.C. Court of Appeals ruled that President Obama’s 2012 NLRB appointments were unconstitutional.
Last week, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1120: Preventing Greater Uncertainty in Labor-Management Relations Act. H.R. 1120 requires the NLRB to cease all activity that requires a quorum and prohibits the NLRB from enforcing any action taken on or after January 4,
President Obama’s 2014 budget proposal includes increased funding for nearly every federal employment agency. Below is a summary of the proposed increases over 2012:
» Read more about: Administration Proposes Funding Boosts for Federal Employment Agencies »
On December 4, 2012, the Boise City Council passed an anti-discrimination law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in employment and in other matters. Since then, I have had a flurry of questions about the new law and decided to post the basics here.
The provisions related to employment impose potential imprisonment and a fine for:
Denying “any other person because of sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression the right to work:
» Read more about: Boise Employers: Go Directly to Jail, Do NOT Pass Go »
Senate Bill 1098 was signed by Governor Otter last week and is effective as of March 22, 2013. The new law relates to educational professional’s contract bargaining and requires most of the negotiations to be open to the public. It also subjects the negotiations and any documents involved in the negotiations to public disclosure under the public writings disclosure laws.
On March 20, 2013, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) reintroduced legislation originally introduced in 2004 into the House and Senate. The 49-page Healthy Families Act would mandate that employers provide “paid sick time so that [employees] can address their own health needs and the health needs of their families.”
In what appears to be a further extension of the FMLA, the proposed bill would allow workers to earn up to 56 hours of paid sick leave: one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked.
» Read more about: Healthy Families Act Reintroduced to House and Senate »
While on vacation in Australia, a man made the news when video showed him saving some children from a shark on the beach. The problem? He and his wife were both on sick leave from work. His employer took exception to his method of recovery–shark wrangling–and terminated his employment.
Under the Family and Medical Leave Act, certain employees are entitled to up to 12 weeks of unpaid time off for their serious health condition.
» Read more about: Medical Leave Probably Shouldn’t Involve a Vacation to the Beach »
On March 13, 2013, Governor Otter signed House Bill 163 into law. The purpose of the new law is to:
» Read more about: Governor Otter Signs Educational Employee Contracts Bill »
Yesterday, Governor Otter signed House Bill 82 into law. I previously reported on the purpose and text of this workers’ compensation bill here.
» Read more about: Idaho Governor Signs House Bill 82 into Law »
The following excerpts are from OSHA’s press release:
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has ordered the Union Pacific Railroad Co., headquartered in Omaha, Neb., to immediately reinstate an employee who was terminated in violation of the Federal Railroad Safety Act for reporting a work-related injury. The company will pay more than $350,000 in back wages with interest, compensatory and punitive damages.
“An employer does not have the right to retaliate against employees who report work-related injuries,”
» Read more about: Union Pacific to Pay $350,000 for Safety Retaliation »
