Healthcare workers, including nurses and home health aids, are one of the groups most at risk of getting hurt in the workplace as a result of violence. Workers within the healthcare profession typically face three times the risk of workplace injuries due to violence compared with the overall rate of…
Anti-discrimination laws protect employees from discrimination due to their protected class. Obviously, this means an employee can take legal action if he is fired or not promoted because of race or religion, or if a supervisor engages in quid pro quo sexual harassment and tries to trade workplace benefits for…
Over the course of 2015, California lawmakers added more than a dozen new laws affecting the employer/employee relationship. Many of the new regulations officially take effect on January 1, 2016. Employers will be expected to follow new regulations from their effective date, so reviewing all new rules and requirements before…
One of the most important duties an employer has to workers is to make sure an environment is kept safe so the risk of workplace injuries is reduced. Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) sets minimum standards for workplace safety, and has a general duty clause to cover situations where…
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments recently related to time limits for filing a lawsuit based on constructive discharge. Courts nationwide have split on the issue of when the clock starts running on the time limit for federal employees to make a claim, and the Supreme Court will now…
Workers may need to discuss many important issues with the human resources department at their workplace. These issues may range from concerns about employee benefits to the potential to take leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act to reports of harassment or questions about what will happen after retirement.…
Employers in California may conduct background checks before hiring and when making employment decisions. However, California law protects consumer privacy and restricts the information that can be provided to employers about potential job candidates. There are two primary state laws regulating the information an employer can obtain on an employee:…
The Internal Revenue Service has announced the new employee retirement plan contribution limits for 2016. The announcement came on October 21, 2015, and employees need to be aware of the new rules applicable to 401(K)s, 403(b), 457 plans, Thrift Savings Plans, IRA limits, SEP IRA limits, and other tax-deferred retirement…
Recently, there has been a lot of discussion about how the economy is growing across the country and in the Los Angeles area. However, unlike in previous periods of economic growth, much of this job growth has been attributed to what is being referred to as “on demand” jobs “or…
According to a recent news article from the Los Angeles Times, an analyst working for the Irvine Water District is claiming workplace harassment and discrimination based up both her race and gender. Employee filed a lawsuit in Orange County Superior Court, alleging that her supervisor at the water district disrespected…